Einstein Observatory

This article is about X-ray telescope. For gravitational wave detector, see Einstein Telescope.

Einstein Observatory
Spacecraft properties
Einstein Observatory

Mission type	Astronomy
Operator	NASA
COSPAR ID	1978-103A
SATCAT №	11101
Website	Einstein Observatory at NASA.gov
Mission duration	4 years

Manufacturer	TRW
Dry mass	3,130 kilograms (6,900 lb)

Start of mission
Launch date	13 November 1978, 05:24 (1978-11-13UTC05:24) UTC
Rocket	Atlas SLV-3D Centaur-D1AR
Launch site	Cape Canaveral LC-36B

End of mission
Last contact	17 April 1981 (1981-04-18)
Decay date	26 May 1982

Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Low Earth
Perigee	465 kilometres (289 mi)
Apogee	476 kilometres (296 mi)
Inclination	23.5°
Period	94.0 minutes

Einstein Observatory (HEAO-2) was the first fully imaging X-ray telescope put into space and the second of NASA's three High Energy Astrophysical Observatories. Named HEAO B before launch, the observatory's name was changed to honor Albert Einstein upon its successfully attaining orbit.^[1] ^[2]

Launch

The Einstein Observatory, HEAO-2, was launched on November 13, 1978, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on an Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D booster rocket into a near-circular orbit with an initial altitude slightly above 500 km. Its orbital inclination orbit was 23.5 degrees. The Einstein Observatory satellite re-entered the Earth's atmosphere and burned up on March 25, 1982.^[3] ^[4]

Instrumentation

The Einstein Observatory carried a single large grazing-incidence focusing X-ray telescope that provided unprecedented levels of sensitivity (hundreds of times better than previously achieved) and arc-second angular resolution of point sources and extended objects. It had instruments sensitive in the 0.2 to 3.5 keV energy range. A collection of four focal-plane instruments was installed in the satellite: ^[5]

HRI, or High Resolution Imaging camera, 0.15-3 keV
IPC, or Imaging Proportional Counter, 0.4 to 4 keV
SSS, or Solid State Spectrometer, 0.5 to 4.5 keV
FPCS, or Bragg Focal Plane Crystal Spectrometer
MPC, Monitor Proportional Counter, 1-20 keV
BBFS, Broad Band Filter Spectrometer
OGS, Objective grating spectrometer

References

↑ "HEA Heritage Missions: Einstein Observatory". cfa.harvard.edu. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
↑ "Einstein ObservatoryArticle Free Pass". britannica.com. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
↑ "Einstein Observatory (HEAO-2)". ecuip.lib.uchicago.edu. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
↑ Brown, Graham. "NASA's Einstein Observatory". voices.yahoo.com. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
↑ "The Einstein /HEAO 2/ X-ray Observatory". adsabs.harvard.edu. Retrieved 27 March 2014.

External links

Einstein Observatory (HEAO-2)

Space observatories

Current	AGILE AMS-02 Chandra (AXAF) Fermi Gaia Hinode (Solar-B) HiRISE Hisaki (Sprint-A) Hubble INTEGRAL IBEX IRIS Kepler MAXI MOST NEOSSat NuSTAR Odin PAMELA R/HESSI SDO SOHO SOLAR Spektr-R Spitzer Suzaku (Astro-EII) Swift TUGSAT-1 & UniBRITE-1 WISE XMM-Newton

Planned	Astro-H (2015) Astrosat (2015) Nano-JASMINE (2015) Spektr-RG (2016) HXMT (2014–2016) NICER (2016) CHEOPS (2017) Spektr-UV (2017) TESS (2017) James Webb (JWST) (2018+) Solar-C (2019) Euclid (2020) Space Solar Telescope PLATO (2024) ATHENA (2028) LISA/eLISA (2034)

Proposals	ATLAST EXCEDE Fresnel Imager FINESSE Hypertelescope LiteBIRD New Worlds Mission NRO donation to NASA Solar-D SPICA THEIA WFIRST WISH EUSO

Completed	Akari (Astro-F) (2006–2011) ALEXIS (1993–2005) ATM (1973–1974) ASCA (Astro-D) (1993–2000) Astro-1 (BBXRT HUT) (1990) Astro-2 (HUT) (1995) Astron (1983–1989) ANS (1974–1976) BeppoSAX (1996–2003) CHIPSat (2003–2008) Compton (CGRO) (1991–2000) COROT (2006–2013) Cos-B (1975–1982) COBE (1989–1993) EPOCh (2008) EPOXI (2010) EXOSAT (1983–1986) EUVE (1992–2001) FUSE (1999–2007) Kvant-1 (1987–2001) GALEX (2003–2013) Gamma (1990–1992) Ginga (Astro-C) (1987–1991) Granat (1989–1998) Hakucho (CORSA-ｂ) (1979–1985) HALCA (MUSES-B) (1997–2005) HEAO-1 (1977–1979) Herschel (2009–2013) Hinotori (Astro-A) (1981–1991) HEAO-2 (Einstein Obs.) (1978–1982) HEAO-3 (1979–1981) HETE-2 (2000–2007?) Hipparcos (1989–1993) IUE (1978–1996) IRAS (1983) ISO (1996–1998) IRTS (1995–1996) IXAE (1996–2004) Kristall (1990–2001) LEGRI (1997–2002) MSX (1996–1997) OAO-2 (1968–1973) OAO-3 (Copernicus) (1972–1981) Orion 1/2 (1971/1973) Planck (2009–2013) RELIKT-1 (1983–1984) ROSAT (1990–1999) Rossi X-ray (RXTE) (1995–2012) SAMPEX (1992–2004) SAS-B (1972–1973) SAS-C (1975–1979) Taiyo (SRATS) (1975–1980) Tenma (Astro-B) (1983–1985) Uhuru (1970–1973) WMAP (2001–2010) 1st mission WISE (2009–2011) Yokoh (Solar-A) (1991–2001)

Lost	e.g. launch failures: OAO-1/OAO-B (1966/1970) CORSA (1976) ABRIXAS (1999) HETE (1996) WIRE (1999) ASTRO-E (2000)

Completed	hibernating after mission: SWAS (1998–2005) TRACE (1998–2010)

On hiatus	TAUVEX

Cancelled	Astro-G Constellation-X Darwin Destiny EChO Eddington FAME GEMS IXO JDEM LOFT SIM & SIMlite SNAP TPF XEUS

See also	Great Observatories program List of space telescopes

Category

TRW Inc.

Subsidiaries	Lucas Industries LucasVarity TRW Automotive

Products	Chandra X-ray Observatory Compton Gamma Ray Observatory Descent Propulsion System Functional flow block diagram High Energy Astronomy Observatory Program High Energy Astronomy Observatory 1 High Energy Astronomy Observatory 2 [Einstein Observatory] High Energy Astronomy Observatory 3 N2 chart Pioneer 1 Pioneer 10 Pioneer 11 TR-201 TRW Low Maintenance Rifle

People	Simon Ramo Dean Wooldridge

Related articles	The Aerospace Corporation Goodrich Corporation Northrop Grumman

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Payloads are separated by bullets ( · ), launches by pipes ( \| ). Manned flights are indicated in bold text. Uncatalogued launch failures are listed in italics. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are denoted in (brackets).

Einstein Observatory

Launch

Instrumentation

References

See also

External links