This is the engineering prototype of the optical telescope and spectrograph, carried by the third Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (OAO III) called "Copernicus." The telescope, known as the Princeton Experiment Package, consisted of an 82-cm (32-inch) parabolic mirror and a high-resolution spectrograph mounted at a modified Cassegrain focus. Launched on August 21, 1972, Copernicus was the second successful satellite in the OAO series. Over a 9-year period, Copernicus observed the ultraviolet spectra of stars, galaxies, a nova, and the interstellar medium. It provided new information about how stars form and age. Transferred from NASA in 1973.
Display Status
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Country of Origin
United States of America
Type
INSTRUMENTS-Scientific
Manufacturer
Perkin Elmer, Sylvania, GSFC
Dimensions
Storage (Rehoused on aluminum pallet): 304.8 × 121.9 × 155.6cm, 501.2kg (120 × 48 × 61 1/4 in., 1105lb.)
Materials
Tube -- titanium-aluminum alloy, optics and electronics
Optics - glass, fused silica
Inventory Number
A19731437000
Credit Line
Transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
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