( \ Page 1

NASA FA(T S
An Educational Services Publication of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Vol. II, No. 13

ORBITING
GEOPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY

(PiGES)

(NASA CR OR "tMX OR AD NUMBER' (CATEGO/fy)

Artist's conception depicts some of the stages of OGO's deployment in space.

The first of a series of large satellites designed
to broaden significantly knowledge about the
earth and space and how the sun affects both
was launched September 4, 1964. The satellite
is called aGO I. aGO is an acronym for
Qrbiting Qeoprysical Qbservatory.
The approximately half-ton aGO can furnish
many times the data provided by smaller scien-
tific satellites such as Explorers. For example,
OGO I carries 20 different experiments as com-
pared to the _8 experiments of Explorer XVIII. I
However, the principal advantage of aGO is

Page 2
that it makes possible observations of numerous
phenomena simultaneously for extended periods
of time. 7 Thus, scientists can study in detail the
interrelationships between these phenomena.
For example, while some OGO experiments re-
port on the erratic behavior of the sun, others
may describe concurrent fluctuations in earth's
and interplanetary magnetic fields, space radia-
tion, and properties of the earth's atmosphere.
ECCENTRIC
GEOPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY (EGO)
OGO satellites have two basic missions. In
one, OGO is rocketed by an Atlas-Agena booster
from Cape Kennedy, Florida, into a highly ec-
centric orbit. Typical of this kind of orbit is that
of OGO I which ranges from 175 to 92,827 miles
above earth. When launched into this far flying
orbit, OGO may be called EGO, for ~ccentric
Qeophysical Qbservatory.
( EGO traverses earth's space environ~ent and
flies beyond it into interplanetary space. Inter-
planetary space is defined as the region beyond
earth's magnetic field.
Some elements of the
space environment and
the orbits of
EGO and POGO
(not in scale)
- --------..---...-~-~~- --~
NASA FACTS Vol. II, No. 13
IEGO studies the sun, the intense Van Allen
Radiation Region that surrounds earth, the elec-
trons and protons constituting the solar wind that
rush constantly from the sun's turbulent surface,
the vast shock wave in space created by impact
of the speeding solar wind with earth's magnetic
field (see NASA Facts-Interplanetary Explorer
Satellites, Vol. II, No. I), and other phenomena
near and at great distances from earth.
EGO reports on both particle and electromag-
netic radiation that may peril travelers between
the earth and moon. Particle radiation consists
of high energy electrons and protons such as
those constituting the Van Allen Radiation Region.
Electromagnetic radiation includes lethal X-rays,
gamma rays, and ultraviolet light. These are
part of a family of radiations called the electro-
magnetic spectrum.
The spectrum is a scale developed by man to
classify radiations that are electrical or magnetic
in nature and have no mass, or matter. The
family includes such harmless (and helpful) mem-
bers as visible light and radio waves.
NASA FACTS Vol. II, No. 13
POLAR ORBITING
GEOPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY (POGO)
In its second basic mission, OGO is launched
by a thrust-augmented Thor-Agena booster from
Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, into a
polar orbit at altitudes ranging from 150 to 500
miles. A satellite in a polar orbit flies in a north
and south direction around the earth . When
launched into a polar orbit, OGO can be called
POGO for ~olar Q r biting Qeophysical Qbserv-
atory.
The thrust-augmented Thor-Agena has three
solid-propellant rockets providing a total of
1 62,000 pounds of thrust strapped on to its
170,000-pound thrust Thor first stage. The re-
sulting 332,000 pounds of thrust is still less than
the 427,000 pounds of thrust generated by the
Atlas booster including its sustainer rockets. A
Thor-Agena rathe r than the more powerful
Atlas-Agena can be employed for POGO because
attaining the POGO orbit requires less energy
than achieving the EGO orbit.
A POGO launch from Cape Kennedy is unsuit-
able because vehicle components that fail to orbit
could fall on inhabited areas. On the other
hand, a vehicle launched southward from Van-
denberg along the Western Test Range fl ies over
open ocean. (EGO is launched into an east-
west orbit.)
POGO 's p rimary goal is to increase knowledge
about how fluctuations in solar activity affect the
characteristics of earth ' s atmosphere, including
the ionosphere, and of earth's magnetic field. ]
POGO's polar orbit makes the satellite ideal for
study of the auroras {Northern and Southern
lights}, the direct entry from time to time of pro-
tons and electrons from the sun into the polar
atmosphere, and other phenomena that occur
OBSERVATORY SATELLITES
OGO Is one of three large scientific satellites in the
NASA program. Another is the Orbiting Astronomical
Observatory (OAO) which Is designed to make tele-
scopic observations of the skies at an altitude free
from atmospheric Interference. The third is the Ad-
vanced Orbiting Solar Observatory (AOSO) which will
make an Intensive s tudy for a prolonged period of the
sun' s many phenomena. Forerunners of AOSO are the
smaller Orbiting Solar Observatories launched March 7,
1962 and February 3 , 1965. (See NASA Facts-Orbiting
Solar Observatory, B-62. )
----------
Page 3
over the far northern and far southern areas of
the globe.
Since the combination of POGO ' s polar orb it
and the earth ' s rotation enables the satellite to
cover our entire planet, it can make global sur-
veys of many phenomena. Among these are
cosmic rays, which are exceptionally high energy
protons and other atomic particles orig i nating
from the sun and sources outside of the solar sys-
tem; electrons and protons in the Van Allen
Radiation Reg i on; micro meteoroids, which are
tiny particles of matter in space; and airglow, a
feeble light emitted by the earth ' s atmosphere
at altitudes from about 50 miles to approximately
65 miles.
SPACECRAFT DESCRIPTION
_ AT"TlTI"'F- C.ONTI"" BOOM
r »<J'LA"-~AN t L ASSEMBLY
ORBITAL PLANE r E:XPEFUMEINT BOOMS
EXPERIMENT PACKAGE
DRIVE ASSEMBLY
VHF
OMNIDIRECTIONAL
ANTENNA BOOM HINGE
EXPERIMENT ANTIE NNII---\\
Principal equ ipment of OGO I.
OGOs are a series of standardized satellites.
Standardized spacecraft are so constructed that
different experiments can be installed for each
flight without redesign of major systems .
OGO's basic systems include a box-like main
body with protruding antennas , panels, and
booms; electrical generation and stor age facil i-
ties; apparatus for acqu isit ion, storage, and
transmittal to earth on command of experimental
Page 4
data and i'nformation on spacecraft operations;
automatic orientation equipment; and systems
for communicating with and controlling certain
operations on the spacecraft from earth.
At launch, when inside the fairing, or nose
cone, of its launch vehicle, OGO resembles a
rectangular box, 6 feet long by 3 feet square,
surrounded by a maze of folded booms, panels,
and other appendages. In space, with append-
OGO folded within its foiring (see text) .
ages deployed, OGO spans about 20 feet across
its power-generating solar panels (see below)
and almost 50 feet between the far ends of its
front and rear booms . The approximately 1000-
pound spacecraft looks like a Gargantuan insect.
Attached to the solar panels are a total of
32,250 solar cells. These cells contain silicon,
an element that emits electrons when struck by
light. Harnessed by wires, the electrons flow as
electric currents that enable the spacecraft to
function.
Two storage batteries, recharged by the solar
panels, are employed when OGO is in earth ' s
shadow. They also supplement the power gen-
erated by the solar panels when peak demands
are made on the spacecraft. In addition, the
batteries furnish power from launch until the solar
paddles unfold and function in orbit.
NASA FACTS Vol. II, No. 13
OGO moin body showing mounting of experiments on
inside of door.
Many experiments are mounted on the inside
of two doors that form part of aGO ' s main
body. (An analogy is the storage of items on
the inside door shelves of a refrigerator.) With-
in the main body are OGO's basic electronic and
mechanical systems.
Experiments that must face toward or away
from the sun are installed in solar-oriented ex-
perimer:"lt packages (SOEP) located on the solar
panels. Those that must be oriented in the
direction OGO is moving are mounted in orbital
plane experiment packages (OPEP). (A satel-
lite's orbital plane may be visualized as an
imaginary circular or elliptical flat plate bisect-
ing the earth. The satellite's orbital path may
be considered the plate ' s edge.) The OPEP's
are located at opposite ends of a rotating shaft
at the front of the spacecraft's main body.
Experiments whose functioning would be ad-
versely affected by such influences as electrical
and magnetic fields created by instruments in
the spacecraft's main body are mounted in con-
tainers at the far ends of booms. Still other
booms support radio antennas and gas jets.
The jets are part of the system for orienting
aGo. Mounting them at the ends of booms
takes advantage of leverage to decrease the
quantity of propellant consu med for required
motions.
r NASA FACTS Vol. II, No. 13
.------~~~~-~----- - -------~

p.. e~ -l
OGO is equipped with an advanced auto- are horizon sensors which, by detecting infrared
matic control s}'·stem designed to keep the space- radiation (heat) emitted by the earth, can tell
craft's flat rectangular bottom facing earth, its whether the craft is properly earth oriented; re-
solar paddles locked on the sun, and the OPEP action wheels which, by being accelerated or de-
oriented in the direction that OGO is moving. celerated, can turn the craft; and the gas jets
Among the principal components of the system noted earlier.
OGO is readied for vibration test. This is one of a series of ground tests designed to duplicate the conditions that OGO would
encounter at launch and in orbit.
I--pag~ 6- - - - DATA HANDLING
I
I OGO has the most advanced data handling
and communications system ever built into a
:1 United States scientific satellite. Either of its
I
I
I two tape recorders can record data at a rate as
much as 4000 bits (units of information) per sec-
ond. Together, the recorders can accumulate
86 million bits. The tape recorder system can
transmit its data to earth at speeds as high as
128,000 bits per second.
Tracking and obtaining data from OGO is per-
formed by NASA's global Space Tracking and
Data Acquisition Network (ST ADAN) of ground
stations .
85-foot diameter antenna of Space Tracking and Data Acqui-
sition Network station at Rosman, N.C. (For size comparison,
note automobile in backgraund. )
ST ADAN funnels all data to NASA's Goddard
Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland.
The computers at the OGO Control Center and
at the Data Processing Center, both located at
Goddard, sort the data and prepare it for use by
individual OGO experimenters and OGO's oper-
ation personnel. The experimenters have ex-
clusive use of OGO scientific data for a year.
NASA FACTS Vol. II, No. 13
Afterwards, the information is made available
to the world scientific community.
Commands for performance of certain OGO
functions are determined at the OGO Control
Center and transmitted to STADAN stations. At
two of these stations, Rosman, N.C., and Fair-
banks, Alaska, huge 85-foot diameter antennas
beam the commands to the spacecraft.
Aiding control of OGO from earth is real-
time · communication between the Control Center
at Goddard and OGO via the Rosman station.
This is provided by a direct microwave radio link
between Goddard and Rosman.
• Real time: reporting on or recording of events simul -
taneously with the events. '.
LONG-RANGE TREATMENT SAVES OGO I
Atlas-Agena baoster launches OGO I.
In the early days of the Space Age, a mal-
functioning satellite was lost to science. Today,
ways can sometimes be found to override a de-
fect and derive significant benefit from the space-
craft. This is the case with OGO I. Among
the factors which aided in saving OGO I for
science is its greater capability for being com-
manded from earth and the better diagnostic data
available from the spacecraft. These were made
possible by the satellite 's size, weight, and
power.