Wide Field Infrared Explorer
| WIRE (Explorer 75) | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | Space telescope |
| Country: |
 United States
|
| Operator: |
 NASA
|
| COSPAR-ID : | 1999-011A |
| Mission dates | |
| Dimensions: | 250 kg |
| Begin: | March 5, 1999, 02:56 UTC |
| Starting place: | Vandenberg AFB / Point Arguello WADZ |
| Launcher: | Pegasus XL F26 / M-22 |
| Flight duration: | 12 years |
| Status: | burned up on May 10, 2011 |
| Orbit data | |
| Orbit inclination : | 97.5 ° |
| Apogee height : | 582 km |
| Perigee height : | 537 km |
Wide Field Infrared Explorer ( WIRE ), and Explorer 75 , was a failed due to technical problems Space Infrared Telescope of NASA .
WIRE had a 30 cm telescope that was cooled to below 14 Kelvin with solid hydrogen . The scientific instrument was a camera for wavelengths of 12 and 25 µm. Among other things, WIRE was supposed to discover tens of thousands of infrared galaxies at high redshifts and thus contribute to the understanding of the evolution of galaxies .
The L-1011 carrier aircraft took off from Vandenberg Air Force Base . In the Point Arguello Western Air Drop Zone over the Pacific, the Pegasus missile was dropped, which successfully put WIRE into low earth orbit. If the instrument cover was blown off too early, the satellite temporarily got out of control and used up the coolant within a few days. WIRE was thus unable to fulfill its original tasks.
However, results were achieved with the star sensor, which was actually only intended for tracking the telescope. By searching for small fluctuations in brightness in long observations of stars, structural parameters of these stars could be determined using the methods of asteroseismology . WIRE entered the earth's atmosphere on May 10, 2011 and burned up.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Orbit data according to Mark Wade: WIRE in the Encyclopedia Astronautica , accessed on April 16, 2012 (English).
- ^ The Wide Field Infrared Explorer. Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, May 10, 2011, accessed March 8, 2012 .
Web links
- WIRE homepage (English)
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