Tenma

Tenma was the second Japanese space telescope for X-ray astronomy. The original project name ASTRO -B was changed after the start in Tenma.

Tenma was launched from Kagoshima Space Center with an M- 3S- rocket on February 20, 1983, until November 11, 1985 in operation since July 1984 reduced effectiveness because of a battery problem. On January 19, 1989 Tenma re-entered the Earth's atmosphere. Had developed by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science X-ray satellite instruments for X-ray energies between 0.1 and 60 keV. Main instrument was a Gasszintillations on proportional counters for 2-60 keV. With its improved energy resolution ( about 9.5 % at an energy of 6 keV) could Tenma investigate the X-ray emission lines of iron in 6.3-6.7 keV X-ray binary stars, the Milky Way and active galactic nuclei.