OAO 3 (COPERNICUS)

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OAO 3 (COPERNICUS) is classified as:

Brightest

NORAD ID: 6153

Int'l Code: 1972-065A

Perigee: 696.1 km

Apogee: 706.3 km

Inclination: 35.0 °

Period: 98.6 minutes

Semi major axis: 7072 km

RCS: 6.8136 m² (large)

Launch date: August 21, 1972
Source: United States (US)
Launch site: AIR FORCE EASTERN TEST RANGE (AFETR)

This mission was the third in the OAO program and its second successful spacecraft to observe the celestial sphere from above the Earth's atmosphere. A UV telescope with a spectrometer measured high-resolution spectra of stars, galaxies, and planets with the main emphasis on the determination of interstellar absorption lines. Three X-ray telescopes and a collimated proportional counter provided measurements of celestial X-ray sources and interstellar absorption between 1 and 100 A.

1 06153U 72065A   25186.50425156  .00000226  00000-0  50969-4 0  9998
2 06153  35.0054 265.3172 0007215 296.9682 176.4457 14.59733286810053

Source of the keplerian elements: AFSPC