Full-sky Astrometric Mapping Explorer (FAME)

A space telescope that was designed to measure, with high precision, the positions, distances, and motions of about 40 million stars within 2,000 parsecs (6,500 light-years) of the Sun. Among other uses, it would have provided a rich database for detecting large extrasolar planets and planetary systems in our part of the Milky Way Galaxy. FAME, was developed being by a group at the U.S. Naval Observatory and had been among five mission proposals chosen by NASA as candidates for two MIDEX (medium-class Explorer) flights to be launched in 2003 and 2004. It was cancelled in 2002 for a variety of reasons including cost overruns, failure of the manufacturer to deliver working CCDs, and NASA budget restrictions.

Related category

• SATELLITES AND SPACE PROBES

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