Introduction to the Copernicus Satellite

The Copernicus spacecraft is the fourth in the series of Orbiting Astronomical Observatories. The series has been used exclusively for ultraviolet astronomy except for the X-ray experiment provided by the Mullard Space Science Laboratory on board the present spacecraft. The satellite enables ultraviolet and X-ray observations to be made from a highly stabilized platform; the major stabilization and control systems are discussed in addition to a review of the normal operating procedures and restrictions.