Nasa S Copernicus Set The Bar For Space Astronomy About 50 Years Ago
On August 21, 1972, at 6:28 a.m. ET, NASA‘s Copernicus satellite, the largest and most sophisticated space telescope at the time, was launched from Launch Complex 36B at what is now the Space Force Station at Cape Canaveral, Florida, into orbit. Its original name was Orbital Astronomical Observatory (OAO) C, but after it entered orbit in the vogue of the day, it changed to OAO 3. But it was also given a new name in recognition of Nicolaus Copernicus’ 500th birthday (1473–1543)....