OV4-1R

Launch data: Designation  02526 / 66099B Launch date  03 Nov 1966 - 13:51 UT Launch site  CC, LC-40 Launch vehicle  Titan-3C (#3C-9) Mission   Earth orbit on: Perigee / Apogee   km Inclination  ° Period   min

This diagram shows the arrangement of various experiments and piggyback satellites carried by the USAF OV4-3 MOL simulator with the Titan IIIC Transtage attached.

Spacecraft data: Prime contractor  Raytheon Customer   Platform   Mass at launch  136 kg Dry Mass   kg Basic shape  Cylinder Dimension  dia: 0.43m - length: 1.4m Solar array   Stabilization   DC power

The pair of OV4-1 satellites carried as piggyback payloads during the MOL test flight.

Description:

• Various experiments and piggyback satellites carried by the USAF OV4-3 MOL simulator with the Titan IIIC Transtage attached.
• The next pair of piggyback satellites carried on this mission were built by Raytheon for what was termed a “whispering gallery” communications experiment. This experiment would attempt to determine if satellites could communicate with each other using HF and VHF transmissions when they were not in sight of each other. This “over-the-horizon” communications test would have one satellite transmitting signals at 20.75, 34.3 and 46.8 MHz and use the ionosphere’s F-layers to reflect them to a second satellite carrying a receiver as well as distant ground stations. The receiver satellite, the 136-kilogram OV4-1R, was a 0.43-meter in diameter cylinder with one domed end for a total length of 1.4 meters. The transmitter satellite, OV4-1T, had identical exterior dimensions with a mass of 109 kilograms. This satellite, however, was fitted with a small solid motor which would be fired after deployment. The resulting 11 meter per second delta-v would quickly increase the separation between it and the receiver satellite for the experiment. Both satellites employed silver oxide-zinc batteries and had an estimated lifetime of 50 days.

Decay: