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OV5 (ERS)

OV5 4 [USAF]

OV5 (Orbiting Vehicle 5) was a series of standardized, simple experimental satellites based on earlier ERS (ORS Mk.3) satellites. Each carried different experiments:

  • OV5 1 (ERS 27): Beryllium-window proportinal counter, solid state detectors, photomultipliers, 6 directional Geiger-counters
  • OV5 2 (ERS 21): Omnidirectional spectrometers, Geiger counters, directional proton and electron detectors
  • OV5 3 (ERS 20): Friction tests (wipers and material samples)
  • OV5 4 (ERS 28): Boiling fluids experiment
  • OV5 5 (ERS 29): Boom mounted magnetometer, 7 particle detectors, LVF receiver
  • OV5 6 (ERS 26): Solid state detectors, Faraday cup, magnetic spectrometer, fluxgate magnetometer
  • OV5 7 (ERS 22): Solar X-ray detectors
  • OV5 8 (ERS 19): Vacuum friction experiments
  • OV5 9: VLF receiver, solar X-ray detector, 4 particle detectors

OV5 7 lost its launch slot on OV1 17 for a relaunch of Orbiscal and was never launched.

OV5 9 featured a modified structure with a 7 cm girth band stretch.

Nation: USA
Type / Application: Experimental
Operator: US Air Force (USAF)
Contractors: TRW Systems Group (#1 - 5, 8); AFRCL (#6, 7); Northrop (#9)
Equipment: various: see above
Configuration: Octahedron (ORS Mk.3)
Propulsion: None
Power: Solar cells, batteries
Lifetime:
Mass: 9 kg (#3)
Orbit:
Satellite COSPAR Date LS Launch Vehicle Remarks
OV5 1 (ERS 27) 1967-040E 28.04.1967 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with Vela 7, Vela 8, ORS 4, OV5 3
OV5 2 (ERS 21, P67-2) 1968-081B 26.09.1968 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with LES 6, OV2 5, OV5 4
OV5 3 (ERS 20) 1967-040D 28.04.1967 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with Vela 7, Vela 8, ORS 4, OV5 1
OV5 4 (ERS 28, P67-2) 1968-081C 26.09.1968 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with LES 6, OV2 5, OV5 2
OV5 5 (ERS 29, S68-3) 1969-046A 23.05.1969 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with Vela 9, Vela 10,OV5 6, OV5 9
OV5 6 (ERS 26, S68-3) 1969-046B 23.05.1969 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with Vela 9, Vela 10, OV5 5, OV5 9
OV5 7 (ERS 22) - not launched Va ABRES-A2 Atlas-F OV1 with OV1 17, OV1 18, OV1 19
OV5 8 (ERS 19, P68-1) 1968-F07 16.08.1968 Va SLC-3E F Atlas-SLV3 Burner-2 with Orbiscal 1, Gridsphere 1, Gridsphere 2, Mylar Balloon, Rigidsphere, LCS 3, LIDOS, RM 18 & UVR, Radcat, SECOR 11, SECOR 12
OV5 9 (S68-3) 1969-046C 23.05.1969 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with Vela 9, Vela 10, OV5 5, OV5 6

References:

  • Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles: Orbiting Vehicle (OV)
  • Jos Heyman, Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles: Environmental Research Satellites (ERS)
  • J. W. Powell and G. R. Richards, “The Orbiting Vehicle series of satellites”, Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, Volume 40, pp.417-426, 1987.
Further STP missions:

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