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Astro-E



The fifth in a series of Japanese astronomy satellites (see Astro- series) designed to observe celestial X-ray sources. Launched on Feb. 10, 2000, it failed to reach orbit after the first stage of its M-5 launch vehicle malfunctioned. Astro-E carried three main science instruments developed in partnership with the Goddard Space Flight Center and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology: an X-ray spectrometer to provide high-resolution spectroscopy in the 0.4–10 keV range, four X-ray imaging spectrometers to take X-ray images of objects in the 0.4–12 keV range, and hard X-ray imaging detectors to measure high-energy X-rays above 10 keV. It was intended to complement the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the XMM-Newton Observatory.


Related categories

   • JAPANESE SPACECRAFT
   • SATELLITES AND SPACE PROBES
   • JAPAN IN SPACE


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