Astro E
Cost: $107 million not including $60 for the launch vehicle
Out
of service
|
10
Feb 2000
|
Cause
|
Launcher
failure, suborbital orbit
|
Decay
|
yes
|
The launcher and platform was provided by ISAS and other Japanese
organisations. The instruments were mainly provided by NASA's GSFC and
Univeristy of Tokyo. It would have complemented
Chandra
by capturing the spectrum of X-ray sources (composition, temperature, velocity
and direction of the gas that is emitting the x-ray light).
http://universe.gsfc.nasa.gov/press/astroe/
http://lheawww.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/xray/astroe/astroe.html
Prime
contractor
|
ISAS
|
Platform
|
|
Mass
at launch
|
|
Payload
mass
|
1650
kg
|
Dimension
|
6.5
x 5.4 x 2.1 m
|
Solar
array
|
|
Stabilization
|
|
DC
power
|
|
Design
lifetime
|
5
years
|
3 main instruments:
Energy range: 0.4-10 keV
The instrument is cooled at -273°C to measure the temperature of
photons
2-year lifetime
Energy range: 0.3-12 keV
Energy range: 10-700 keV