Orbiting Solar Observatory Program
NASA’s Orbiting Solar Observatory Program was a series of eight spacecraft launched from March 1962 through June 1975 for long-term solar-physics observations above Earth’s atmosphere. Across a complete 11-year solar cycle, the OSO missions measured solar electromagnetic radiation and investigated the structure and disturbances of the Sun’s atmosphere, laying groundwork for modern heliophysics.
Identity
- Aliases
- Orbiting Solar ObservatoriesOSO ProgramOSO seriesOrbiting Solar Observatory
- Domains
- spaceflight
- Name
- Orbiting Solar Observatory Program
- Status
- completed
- Types
- scienceresearchoperationsdevelopment
Details
- Description
- NASA’s Orbiting Solar Observatory Program was a series of eight spacecraft launched from March 1962 through June 1975 for long-term solar-physics observations above Earth’s atmosphere. Across a complete 11-year solar cycle, the OSO missions measured solar electromagnetic radiation and investigated the structure and disturbances of the Sun’s atmosphere, laying groundwork for modern heliophysics.
- End Date
- 1975-06-21
- Leads
- Participants
- -
- Start Date
- 1962-03-07
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- August 13, 2026 at 14:54:32 UTC
- Updated Time
- August 13, 2026 at 14:54:32 UTC