WIRE

USA

Also called Wide-Field Infrared Explorer, Explorer 75 or SMEX 5

Launch data:

Designation	25646 / 99011A
Launch date	04 Mar 1999
Launch site	Va, L-1011
Launch vehicle	Pegasus-XL (#26)
Mission	Scientific: IR astronomy
Earth orbit:
Perigee/Apogee	539/587 km
Inclination	97.5°
Period

The cover of Wire was ejected too early (3 days early?) and caused cryogen to leak out. This was caused by faulty electronics which caused the ejection of the cover. The satellite lost proper stabilization after launch. All the cryogen was lost, primary mission failed. The spacecraft is now to be used as an engineering testbed to evaluate advanced attitude control systems, communications, and data handling and operations.

WIRE would have used a single cryogenically cooled infrared telescope to survey selected target areas in two infrared bands. WIRE was specifically designed to detect the maximum number of high-red shift starburst galaxies using the smallest, simplest instrument possible. The WIRE survey would have been over 500 times fainter than the IRAS Faint Source Survey at 12 and 25 µm.

Specifications

Prime contractor	NASA-GSFC
Platform	SMEX
Mass at launch	254 kg
Mass in orbit
Dimension
Solar array
Stabilization
DC power	160 W

End of live:

Reentered date:	10 May 2011 - .3 UT
Lifetime:

Telemetry: 2215 MHz (realtime: 23.4375 kbps, playback: 1.125 or 2.25 Mbps)
Command: 2039.65 MHz (2 kbps)

Telescope: 30 cm Cassegrain

Ref: #3(SD463), #27 - update: 30.12.11