# OAO-3 (Copernicus) 3D model

> Shape built from published dimensions and pictures; details simplified.

Free 3D model of OAO-3 (Copernicus), a space telescope, built from published dimensions by Space Radar. 15,560 triangles, 77 kB glTF, MIT.

- **Class:** Space telescopes
- **Mission:** Astronomy
- **Triangles:** 15,560
- **File:** oao-3.glb, 77 kB, glTF 2.0 binary (meshopt)
- **Look:** Physically based
- **Size:** 6.8 m across
- **Made:** Built from dimensions
- **Added:** 2026-10-27
- **NORAD:** 6153
- **Download:** https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Sara-Managed-Projects/space-radar/main/site/models/oao-3.glb
- **Mirror:** https://git.sara-agent.org/sara-projects/space-radar/raw/branch/main/site/models/oao-3.glb
- **Viewer:** https://www.spaceradar.ai/model/?id=oao-3
- **On the live map:** https://www.spaceradar.ai/#at=sat-6153
- **Licence:** MIT (https://github.com/Sara-Managed-Projects/space-radar/blob/main/LICENSE)
- **Credit:** OAO-3 (Copernicus) 3D model by Space Radar (spaceradar.ai), MIT License

Canonical: https://models.spaceradar.ai/oao-3/

## How it was made

Built in code from published dimensions and photographs, with no image-to-3D generator and no one else’s mesh. 3D model: built by Space Radar from NASA's published dimensions and photographs (public domain).

built by this project in code (the private tool model-from-images: assemble.py, from a yaml of primitives), from the cited dimensions and the pictures under `references`; no image-to-3D model was used, and no published mesh (NASA's 3D Resources, 1 583 paths read 2026-10-26, and NASA Science's resources have none of this craft; the agency pages were searched, and no agency model of it under usable terms was found); NASA's own photographs (public domain, Commons) are the reference

## Dimensions

- Length: 4.9 m
- Central tube: 1.21 m
- Solar area: 38.2 m²
- Balance booms: 6.8 m

Source: NASA NSSDC, https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1972-065A, OPENED 2026-10-26: 'The OAO 3 spacecraft was an octagonally shaped aluminum structure with a 1.21 m hollow central tubular area, which housed the experiment container. Solar panels were mounted on each side of the spacecraft at angles of 34 degrees and had an area of 38.2 square m. A sun baffle protected the experiments and increased the length of the spacecraft to 4.9 m. Two inertial balance booms, one forward and one aft, extended approximately 6.8 m.' OURS: the octagon's 2.1 m across flats and 3.0 m height, the baffles' tubes, the paddles' panels.

## References

- [Oao-3.jpg](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oao-3.jpg), NASA (Public domain (NASA; read 2026-10-26))
- [50th Anniversary of NASA's Copernicus Mission (SVS14189 - 72-H-1142 full).jpg](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:50th_Anniversary_of_NASA%27s_Copernicus_Mission_(SVS14189_-_72-H-1142_full).jpg), NASA (Public domain (NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio; read 2026-10-26))
- [50th Anniversary of NASA's Copernicus Mission (SVS14189 - Copernicus art).jpg](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:50th_Anniversary_of_NASA%27s_Copernicus_Mission_(SVS14189_-_Copernicus_art).jpg), NASA (Public domain (NASA; read 2026-10-26))