RHESSI (Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager)

A NASA satellite designed to explore the basic physics of particle acceleration and energy release in solar flares. It carries out simultaneous, high resolution imaging and spectroscopy of flares from 3 keV X-rays to 20 MeV gamma rays with high time resolution. RHESSI, known originally as just HESSI, is the fourth SMEX (Small Explorer) mission. HESSI's launch by a Pegasus XL, scheduled for June 2001, was postponed following the loss of an X-43A experimental plane due to the failure of a similar Pegasus.

launch date	Feb. 5, 2002
launch vehicle	Pegasus XL
launch site	Cape Canaveral
orbit	circular 600 km × 38°
mass	293 kg

Related category

• SATELLITES AND SPACE PROBES

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Encyclopedia of Alternative Energy & Sustainable Living
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