Exosat

Europe / ESA

Spacecraft nº:

ESA spacecraft nº: 23

Launch data:

Scientific: astronomy

Designation	14095 / 83051A
Launch date	26 May 1983
Launch site	Va, SLC-2W
Launch vehicle	Delta-3914 (#169)
Mission
Perigee/Apogee	340/191878 km
Inclination	72.5°
Period	5442.1 min
Mass at launch	510 kg

Astronomy satellite designed to map the position and characteristics of cosmic X-ray sources. The observatory performed some 2000 observations during its operational lifetime.

Specifications

Prime contractor	MBB
Platform
Mass at launch	500 kg
Payload mass	120 kg
Diameter	2.1 m
Height	1.35 m
Solar array	1.85 x 2 m
Stabilization	3-axis
DC power	EOL: 260 W
Design lifetime	2 years
Telemetry/data	S-band (6 W): 8 kbps

End of life

Out of service	09 Apr 1986
Decay	06 May 1986

Low energy experiment: 2 grazing incidence (imaging) telescopes

Field of view	1°
Collecting area	90 cm²

Medium energy experiment: 8 proportional counters

Field of view	1.5°
Collecting area	1800 cm²

Gas scintillator spectrometer

Field of view	1.5°
Collecting area	200 cm²
X-ray energy rate	low energy 0.04-2 keV medium energy 1.5-50 keV spectrometer 2-80 keV

Ref.: #1, #15, #78a - update: 22.07.08

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