OV1-16

Launch data:

Description:

• The OV1-16 satellite was a high-density, 63-cm in diamspherical spacecraft specifically designed to obtain accurate density data at very low altitudes (100 km). The principal active experiment was a triaxial accelerometer that measured satellite acceleration near perigee. Atmospheric densities were then computed from these data. The sphere also contained a c-band tracking beacon for drag density determination. Batteries and appropriate logic, timing, telemetry, and command and control equipment were also aboard. There was no onboard tape recorder, but real-time telemetry data were obtained during 199 passes over 12 stations.