OV4 3

The OV4-3 (Orbiting Vehicle 4-3) payload consisted mainly of a Titan-1 oxidizer tank representing the shape and aerodynamics of the planned MOL. It was fixed to the Transtage, so it's dimension ammounted to a lenght of 17.5 m. Also 680 kg of technology experiments, called project "Manifold", were added to the oxidizer tank:

• 2 Micrometeroite detectors,
• ORBIS-Low beacon,
• biological cell grow experiment,
• H₂/O₂ fuelcell,
• experimental thermal control system,
• acoustic fuel monitoring system,
• dummy attitude control system.

The satellite was spin stabilized after Transtage shutdown. On the upper end, a Gemini B capsule was mounted during launch and released on a suborbital trajectory. Also inside the Gemini B adapter were three small satellites: OV1 6, OV4 1R and OV4 1T. OV4-3 worked for 30 days (75 days were planned).

Last update: 27.09.2009
Contact: gunter.krebs@skyrocket.de
© Gunter Dirk Krebs