OAO-2, Card No 39 (RaceIntoSpace 1971)
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Card No. 39: Orbiting Astronomical Observatory 2
One of the most complex unmanned satellites to be developed by the West, OAO-2 was launched by Atlas-Centaur from Cape Kennedy on December 7, 1968.
It contains two experiments, designed by American universities, for the examination of stars and galaxies by means of their ultra-violet radiation. From 480 miles above the Earth, it can measure radiation which never reaches the Earth's surface.
Its importance has been equated with that of the optical telescope, invented over 350 yours ago.
OAO-2 weighs 4,446 pounds, spans 80 inches, and is 118 inches long.
