Event Description

The Orbiting Astronomical Observatory 2 (OAO-2) was launched on December 7, 1968, by NASA. It was the first space telescope to be launched and operated successfully. The telescope was designed to observe ultraviolet light from stars and galaxies, which cannot be observed from the Earth's surface due to the filtering effect of the Earth's atmosphere. The OAO-2 was launched into orbit aboard a Delta rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The telescope had a mass of approximately 500 kg and was equipped with a 40 cm diameter mirror. It was also equipped with three ultraviolet spectrometers and a photometer to measure the brightness of the stars. The telescope was able to observe more than 1200 stars during its mission. The OAO-2 was intended to operate for one year, but it was able to function for over 5 years before it was decommissioned in June 1973. The telescope was able to produce valuable data that helped astronomers to better understand the nature of stars and galaxies. The success of the OAO-2 paved the way for future space telescopes, such as the Hubble Space Telescope, which was launched in 1990. In summary, the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory 2 was the first space telescope launched by NASA and operated successfully. Its mission was to observe ultraviolet light from stars and galaxies, which cannot be observed from the Earth's surface. The telescope was able to operate for over 5 years and produced valuable data that helped astronomers to better understand the universe.