fut-satrep_v_bw_o_n (ca. 1963, prob. unnumbered GAEC photo)

            “Can a satellite be repaired in orbit?

The Goddard Space Flight Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, has awarded a study contract to Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation to answer a portion of the question. As a case in point Grumman will review the design of its Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (shown above), the largest scientific satellite currently under development for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, to investigate the structural design considerations of what should be done to make the OAO suitable for in orbit repair.
The study does not touch upon the operational problems of rendezvousing with an orbiting spacecraft, or the problem of getting a repairman close enough to an orbiting satellite to actually perform the repair mission. It is possible that in orbit repair will one day prove to be more economical than second launches and the replacement of whole satellite systems.
OAO is currently under development at Grumman. The satellite, which astronomers will use to monitor cosmic radiation from distant stars, is scheduled to be launched sometime in 1964.”

Fascinating & insightful content in the above. The first OAO satellite was not launched until 1966. The last in the series of four OAO satellites, OAO-3 (Copernicus), concluded operations in February 1981, two months before the first flight of the space shuttle. The first attempt at on-orbit satellite rescue/repair would not be until 1984, during STS-41C, involving the Solar Maximum Mission Satellite (SMMS). SMMS was indeed built with on-orbit retrieval & repair capability. A 21-year wait from the time of this image.

That’s a pretty sporty shuttle! A striking work by GAEC’s supremely talented artist, Craig Kavafes.

Despite the COPIOUS amount of military-grade adhesive used to affix the description on the verso, which, as usual, has induced substantial waviness, the image presents beautifully. The blue streaks at the top of the image are the scanner’s interpretation of the more pronounced waves.

Taken on: March 29, 2024

Tags:

satellite repair

Extravehicular Activity

tethered spacewalk

Orbiter Vehicle

space shuttle

living and working in space

Grumman Aircraft Engineering Company

GAEC

rendezvous and station keeping

station keeping

Orbiting Astronomical Observatory

OAO

astronomical observatory

artificial satellite

Astronaut

NASA Spacecraft

NASA

Craig Kavafes

Kavafes

Artist’s Concept

Artist’s Rendering

Artist's Conception

Artist's Depiction

Artist Concept

Artist Rendering

artist depiction

Earth's curvature

Lifting Body

reusable spacecraft

winged spacecraft

solar arrays « less

Sets appears in: • Satellites: Views By/Views Of • Miscellaneous Photos & Prints more » • Space Transportation System « less

Groups appears in: • Space Shuttle • OUT OF THIS WORLD more » • Riding with Robots on the High Frontier • Space The Final Frontier • Mid-century Space Illustration • Space stuff • Space & Astronauts • Shuttle Concept Art « less

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