Orbiting Vehicle 1–13 was a satellite launched on 6 April 1968 to measure the level of radiation in orbit at altitudes as high as 8,000 km (5,000 mi). Part of the OV1 series of USAF satellites, using standardized designs and sent to orbit on decommissioned Atlas ICBMs to reduce development and launching costs, OV1-13 was launched side-by-side with OV1-14. The launch marked the first usage of the Atlas F in the OV program. Operating for more than a year and a half, OV1-13 mapped the grosser characteristics of the Van Allen radiation belts and contributed to the understanding of how particles flow and cause increased intensities during solar storms. As of 12 May 2023, OV1-13 is still in orbit.

Orbiting Vehicle or OV, originally designated SATAR, comprised five disparate series of standardized American satellites operated by the US Air Force, launched between 1965 and 1971. Forty seven satellites were built, of which forty three were launched and thirty seven reached orbit. With the exception of the OV3 series and OV4-3, they were launched as secondary payloads, using excess space on other missions. This resulted in extremely low launch costs and short proposal-to-orbit times. Typically, OV satellites carried scientific and/or technological experiments, 184 being successfully orbited through the lifespan of the program.