National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Orbiting Solar Observatories Gallery

The OSO series

Diagram of the satellite layout of the OSO satellites

Display model of an OSO satellite (National Air and Space Muesum, Washington, D.C.)

OSO 1 to 6 before attaching the solar panels and instruments

OSO 1

The OSO-1 satellite

OSO-1 under construction

OSO 2

The OSO-2 satellite

OSO 3

The OSO-3 satellite

OSO-3 under construction

Diagram of the low energy gamma-ray detector flown on OSO-3

Diagram of the high energy gamma-ray detector flown on OSO-3

The spectrum of the diffuse gamma-ray background in the 0.001 - 100 MeV energy range as measured by OSO-3, Rangers 3 & 5, Apollo 15, and SAS 2.

OSO 4

The OSO-4 satellite

OSO 5

Diagram of the OSO-5 wheel section

Diagram of NRL's OSO-5 X-ray detector

OSO 7

Artist's impression of OSO-7 in orbit

Diagram of the UCSD gamma-ray detector flown on OSO-7

OSO 8

Artist's impression of OSO-8 in orbit

OSO-8 under construction

Diagram of the Cosmic X-ray Spectrometer

Diagram of the High Energy Celestial X-ray Experiment (HEXCE), also known as the Frost experiment.

Diagram of the HEXCE, including a overhead view of both detector crystals.

The photograph of OSO-8 under construction is courtesy of Hughes Aircraft Company. All other images are courtesy of NASA.