Designed to observe atmospheric airglow, X-ray and cosmic radiation, OV1-10 returned significant data on the Sun as well as on geophysical phenomena in Earth's magnetic field.

The Orbiting Vehicle satellite program arose from a US Air Force initiative, begun in the early 1960s, to reduce the expense of space research.

General Dynamics received a $2 million contract on 13 September 1963 to build a new version of the SPP (called the Atlas Retained Structure (ARS)) that would carry a self-orbiting satellite.

Once the Atlas missile and ARS reached apogee, the satellite inside would be deployed and thrust itself into orbit.

However, in 1964, the Air Force transferred ABRES launches to the Western Test Range causing a year's delay for the program.

[3]: 420  The satellite's track, nearly perpendicular to the equator, meant that it followed a meridian of nearly constant local time, drifting with respect to the ground about one hour per month.

These data were enabled scientists to determine the relative density of neon to magnesium in the solar corona through direct observation rather than using complicated mathematical models.

[8] OV1-10's airglow experiments also returned observations of Stable Auroral Red (SAR) arcs, which occur during geomagnetic storms, during an event that took place 15–17 February 1967.