# Orbiting Geophysical Observatory program

> series of satellites used for geophysical research

**Wikidata**: [Q264798](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q264798)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbiting_Geophysical_Observatory)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/orbiting-geophysical-observatory-program

## Summary
The Orbiting Geophysical Observatory (OGO) program is a U.S. series of artificial satellites used for geophysical research. Operated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the program comprised six satellites designated OGO 1 through OGO 6.

## Key Facts
- The Orbiting Geophysical Observatory (OGO) is a series of artificial satellites of the Earth designed for geophysical research.  
- The program was operated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).  
- The OGO program is based in the United States.  
- The program is commonly referred to by the aliases "OGO program" and "OGO".  
- The series comprises six spacecraft: OGO 1, OGO 2, OGO 3, OGO 4, OGO 5, and OGO 6.  
- Instance classification: artificial satellite of the Earth.  
- Subclass classification: satellite program.  
- Wikipedia title: "Orbiting Geophysical Observatory".  
- Wikimedia Commons category: "Orbiting Geophysical Observatory" and an illustrative spacecraft drawing is available at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Orbiting-Geophysical-Observatory-spacacraft-drawing.png.  
- External identifiers include a Freebase ID (/m/07gl_h) and entries in reference works such as Encyclopædia Britannica Online (topic/Orbiting-Geophysical-Observatory) and the Encyclopedia of China (third edition) ID 401526.

## FAQs
### Q: What was the purpose of the Orbiting Geophysical Observatory program?
A: The OGO program provided spaceborne platforms for geophysical research. Its satellites were used to study geophysical phenomena from Earth orbit.

### Q: Who operated the Orbiting Geophysical Observatory satellites?
A: The OGO satellites were operated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States.

### Q: How many satellites were in the OGO program and what were they called?
A: The program comprised six satellites, designated OGO 1, OGO 2, OGO 3, OGO 4, OGO 5, and OGO 6.

## Why It Matters
The Orbiting Geophysical Observatory program represents an organized, multi-satellite effort to place dedicated geophysical research instruments into Earth orbit. By providing a set of platforms operated by NASA, the program enabled systematic, space-based observation of Earth's geophysical environment. Such orbital observatories create opportunities to measure and monitor physical processes from a vantage point not possible from the ground, supporting basic research and informing subsequent satellite missions. As a U.S. satellite program categorized under artificial satellites of the Earth and as a defined "satellite program," OGO served as part of the early infrastructure for coordinated space science. Its structure—multiple similarly purposed spacecraft (OGO 1–6)—is a recognizable model for later multi-satellite research campaigns and programs that rely on distributed orbital assets to study planetary and near-Earth processes.

## Notable For
- Being a NASA-operated series specifically organized for geophysical research from orbit.  
- Consisting of six named satellites (OGO 1 through OGO 6) as a cohesive program rather than a single spacecraft.  
- Classification and recognition across multiple reference sources, including Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Encyclopædia Britannica Online, and the Encyclopedia of China.  
- Commonly known by the short aliases "OGO program" and "OGO".

## Body
### Overview
- The Orbiting Geophysical Observatory (OGO) is identified as a series of artificial satellites of the Earth.
- Its primary role was geophysical research conducted from Earth orbit.
- The program is referred to in sources by the shorter names "OGO program" and "OGO".

### Components
- The program comprises six individual satellites:
  - OGO 1
  - OGO 2
  - OGO 3
  - OGO 4
  - OGO 5
  - OGO 6

### Classification and operation
- Instance type: artificial satellite of the Earth.
- Subclass: satellite program.
- Country: United States.
- Operator: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

### Identifiers and references
- Wikipedia page title: "Orbiting Geophysical Observatory".
- Wikimedia Commons category: "Orbiting Geophysical Observatory".
- Representative image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Orbiting-Geophysical-Observatory-spacacraft-drawing.png
- Freebase ID: /m/07gl_h.
- Encyclopædia Britannica Online entry: topic/Orbiting-Geophysical-Observatory.
- Encyclopedia of China (third edition) ID: 401526.
- The entity has a sitelink count of 9 across Wikidata-linked sites.

### Related entities
- The program’s parts are the individual OGO satellites, each referenced as an American geophysical research satellite in source lists.

## Schema Markup
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  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "Orbiting Geophysical Observatory",
  "description": "A series of artificial satellites used for geophysical research, operated by NASA.",
  "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbiting_Geophysical_Observatory",
  "sameAs": [
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## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013