Sun-synchronous orbit mission for passively cooled reconnaissance of the interstellar medium

Jonathan W. Campbell; John Fikes; Mark Gerry; Jim McCarter; Harold Blevins; William D. Jones; Donald E. Williams; Holly Chandler; Allen Green; Terry Schmitt; Linda Vestal; Belinda Wright; John Larkin Jackson; R. Greg Schunk; Ken Swaim; Susan Spencer; Charles M. Telesco; Seppo Laine; Timothy G. Hawarden; Charles R. Taylor; Russell A. Chipman; Richard T. Parmley

doi:10.1117/12.221356

29 September 1995 Sun-synchronous orbit mission for passively cooled reconnaissance of the interstellar medium

Jonathan W. Campbell, John Fikes, Mark Gerry, Jim McCarter, Harold Blevins, William D. Jones, Donald E. Williams, Holly Chandler, Allen Green, Terry Schmitt, Linda Vestal, Belinda Wright, John Larkin Jackson, R. Greg Schunk, Ken Swaim, Susan Spencer, Charles M. Telesco, Seppo Laine, Timothy G. Hawarden, Charles R. Taylor, Russell A. Chipman, Richard T. Parmley

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 2553, Infrared Spaceborne Remote Sensing III; (1995) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.221356
Event: SPIE's 1995 International Symposium on Optical Science, Engineering, and Instrumentation, 1995, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

The Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama, in a teaming arrangement with the University of Florida, Gainesville, and the Joint Astronomy Center, Hawaii, has completed a comprehensive investigation into the feasibility of a low-cost infrared space astronomy mission. This mission would map the emission of molecular hydrogen in our galaxy at two or three previously inaccessible mid-IR wavelengths, and provide information on the temperatures. The feasibility of the low-cost mission hinged on whether a thermal design could be found which would allow sufficient passive cooling of the telescope to elimiate the need for a large, expensive dewar. An approach has been found which can provide telescope temperatures on the order of 50 K, which makes the mission feasible at low cost in low-Earth orbit.

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Jonathan W. Campbell, John Fikes, Mark Gerry, Jim McCarter, Harold Blevins, William D. Jones, Donald E. Williams, Holly Chandler, Allen Green, Terry Schmitt, Linda Vestal, Belinda Wright, John Larkin Jackson, R. Greg Schunk, Ken Swaim, Susan Spencer, Charles M. Telesco, Seppo Laine, Timothy G. Hawarden, Charles R. Taylor, Russell A. Chipman, and Richard T. Parmley "Sun-synchronous orbit mission for passively cooled reconnaissance of the interstellar medium", Proc. SPIE 2553, Infrared Spaceborne Remote Sensing III, (29 September 1995); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.221356

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