Akari (satellite)

ASTRO -F is a space infrared telescope in the Japanese space agency JAXA, with the participation of ESA, the UK, Netherlands and South Korea. The plans for the satellite started in 1997, originally planned for 2003 launch has been moved to the mirror suspension due to problems. The launch took place on 21 February 2006 at 22:28 CET with an MV rocket from Uchinoura Space Center, where the ASTRO -F was placed in a sun-synchronous orbit at 750 km altitude. After the start of 955 kg, the satellite was named Akari Japanese for light.

The main scientific objectives of the mission were the study of galaxy formation in the early universe and the formation of stars and planets in the Milky Way.

Construction

The primary mirror of the telescope is 67 cm in diameter, the telescope was cooled by liquid helium at 6 K, so that during this time observations in the mid and far infrared (wavelength 5.5 microns to 180 microns ) could be made. The observations in the near infrared (wavelength 1.7 microns to 5.5 microns ) were independent of the helium cooling.

The instruments consisted of four FIR detectors ( 50-80, 60-110, 110-180, 140-180 microns ) and three cameras for NIR (1.7- 5.5μm ) and MIR ( 5.8-14.1 and 12.4-26.5 ).

Course

On April 16, 2006 Akari opened the telescopic cover and took on the job. The initial findings were published in May 2006 by JAXA. When the helium supply was exhausted in August 2007, Akari had scanned 94 % of the sky and performed over 5500 individual observations. The observations in the near infrared range were continued.

After a problem with the power supply on May 24, 2011, the scientific mission officially ended in June 2011. November 24, 2011 JAXA lowered the orbit from 440 km, in order to reduce the remaining time in orbit. Thus the fuel tank has been emptied, in order to avoid a potential explosion.

Japanese satellite for X-ray astronomy

More Japanese satellites were launched under the name ASTRO for X-ray astronomy:

International Designator Mu (rocket family) Orbital inclination Suzaku (satellite) ASTRO-H
38046
de