Name: OAO 1 — Atlas SLV-3 Agena D
Start: 1966-04-08T19:35:00Z
End: 1966-04-08T19:35:00Z
Location: Launch Complex 12

Question 1

What rocket is launching OAO 1?

Accepted Answer

OAO 1 is launching on the Atlas SLV-3 Agena D.

Question 2

Who is launching OAO 1?

Accepted Answer

OAO 1 is being launched by United States Air Force, a government launch provider founded in 1947.

Question 3

Where is OAO 1 launching from?

Accepted Answer

OAO 1 is launching from Launch Complex 12 at Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.

Question 4

What orbit is OAO 1 heading to?

Accepted Answer

OAO 1 is heading to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

Question 5

Is the Atlas SLV-3 Agena D reusable?

Accepted Answer

No — the Atlas SLV-3 Agena D is an expendable launch vehicle.

Question 6

How many times has the Atlas SLV-3 Agena D flown?

Accepted Answer

The Atlas SLV-3 Agena D has launched 48 times to date, with 44 successful flights.

Question 7

What is the OAO 1 mission?

Accepted Answer

OAO 1 (Orbiting Astronomical Observatory 1) was a solar-cell-powered satellite instrumented to make precision astronomical observations and to measure the absorption and emission characteristics of the stars, planets, nebulae, and the interplanetary and interstellar media from visible to gamma-ray regions.

Question 8

Where is Cape Canaveral Space Force Station?

Accepted Answer

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station sits on Florida's Atlantic coast, on the Eastern Range run by the U.S. Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45. It is the United States' busiest launch site and has been America's gateway to orbit since the 1950s.

Question 9

Which rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

SpaceX flies Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40, and United Launch Alliance flies the Vulcan Centaur (and the retiring Atlas V) from Space Launch Complex 41.

Question 10

Is Cape Canaveral the same as the Kennedy Space Center?

Accepted Answer

No. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center are separate, neighbouring sites — Kennedy is on Merritt Island just to the north. Together they make up Florida's 'Space Coast'.

Question 11

Why do rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Its pads sit on the Eastern Range, letting rockets fly east out over the Atlantic toward the equatorial and geostationary orbits most commercial and national-security payloads need, away from populated land.

Question 12

Can you watch a launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the Space Coast is one of the easiest places in the world to watch a launch from public land. Popular free spots include Playalinda Beach, Space View Park in Titusville, and Jetty Park at Port Canaveral.

OAO 1

Overview

Mission details

Launch Window

Launch Complex 12

Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Frequently asked questions