Astro E2
Also called Suzaku
To replace
Astro E
To study the structures and movement of black holes and galaxies (in the
0.3-700 keV X-ray band), find out when and where their chemical elements are
created and what happens when matter falls into a black hole.
Around Aug 7 2005, a leak in the cooler system resulted in loss of the liquid
helium, which will prevent the XRS from operating in the planned high
resolution spectra.
http://www.nasa.gov/astro-e2
http://www.isas.jaxa.jp/e/enterp/missions/suzaku/
sat-index articles
Prime
contractor
|
|
Platform
|
|
Mass
at launch
|
1700
kg
|
Mass
in orbit
|
|
Dimension
|
4.5
m length (6.5 m deployed)
|
Solar
array
|
|
Stabilization
|
|
DC
power
|
|
Design
lifetime
|
5
years
|
Primary instrument: high-resolution X-ray Spectrometer (XRS), developed jointly
by NASA Goddard and ISAS. The XRS measures the heat created by the individual
X-ray photons (light particles) it collects. It is a single telescope made of
reflecting tubular (40 cm diameter) foils and with a focal length of 4.5 m
capable of detecting 0.5-12 keV X-rays. Its detector assembly consists of an
array of 32 micro-calorimeters held at a cryogenic 0.06 K (i.e., about
-460°F or -273°C).
The instrument failed in the first month following its launch.
Has 4 other X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (XIS) instruments.
0.4 m telescopes
It is the first X-ray satellite to carry a microcalorimeter, providing high
resolution spectra from a detector refrigerated to 1.5 milliKelvin.
Downlink: 2256.22 MHz