SAX

Satellite per Astronomia a raggi X, also called BeppoSAX

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General

Designation	23857 / 96027A
Launch date	30 Apr 1996
Country of origin	Italy and Netherlands (with the help of ESA)
Mission	Scientific: high energy astrophysics ( X-ray astronomy)
Perigee/Apogee	581/605 km
Inclination	4°
Period	~ 97 min
Launch vehicle	Atlas Centaur #100

As of Dec 2001 all gyros had failed (3 primary and 3 spares had failed by Sep 2001!). It now uses the 3 star trackers and orientates the satellite through the reaction wheels.

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External resources

http://astro.estec.esa.nl/SA-general/Research/Sax/

http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/sax/shp_gallery.html
sat-index articles

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End of life

Decay

29 Apr 2003

Technical data

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Specifications

Prime contractor	Alenia Spazio
Platform
Mass at launch	1400 kg
Payload mass	490 kg
Diameter	2.7 m
Height	3.6 m
Solar array	9 m span (2 panels of 2.6 x 3.5 m)
Stabilization	3 axis
DC power	EOL: 2300 W
Design lifetime	4 years

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Payload

4 X-ray concentrators/spectrometers
2 wide-field X-ray cameras (WFC)
large area phoswich detector system (PDS)
high-pressure gas-scintillation proportional counter HPCPC)

command: 2 kbps, S-band
telemetry/data: 2245.500 MHz (16/131/917 kbps)
Other possible frequencies: 2067.5 MHz & 2245.24887 MHz

X-ray energy detection range	0.1-300 keV
Field of view	WFC: 20 x 20 deg others: 0.5-1.5 deg
Angular resolution	WFC: 5 arcmin others: ~ 1 arcmin

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