A Space & astronomy forum. SpaceBanter.com

Go Back   Home » SpaceBanter.com forum » Astronomy and Astrophysics » Astronomy Misc
Site Map Home Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Space Infrared Telescope Facility Lifts Off



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old August 25th 03, 03:33 PM
Ron Baalke
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Space Infrared Telescope Facility Lifts Off


Frank O'Donnell (818) 354-7170
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

Donald Savage (202) 358-1547
NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.

News Release: 2003-117
August 25, 2003

Space Infrared Telescope Facility Lifts Off

NASA's Space Infrared Telescope Facility successfully launched from
Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 1:35:39 a.m. Eastern
Daylight Time (10:35:39 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time, August 24) aboard
a Delta II launch vehicle.

Flying eastward over the Atlantic Ocean, the new observatory entered
an Earth-trailing orbit the first of its kind at about 43 minutes
after launch. Five minutes later, the spacecraft separated from the
Delta's second and final stage. At about 2:28 a.m. Eastern Daylight
Time (11:28 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time, Aug. 22), 53 minutes after
take-off, the NASA Deep Space Network station in Canberra, Australia
received the first signal from the telescope.

"All systems are operating smoothly, and we couldn't be more
delighted," said David Gallagher, project manager for the mission at
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

The last of NASA's suite of Great Observatories, the Space Infrared
Telescope Facility will use infrared detectors to pierce the dusty
darkness enshrouding many of the universe's most fascinating objects,
including brown dwarfs, planet-forming debris discs around stars and
distant galaxies billions of light years away. Past Great
Observatories include the Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-ray
Observatory and Compton Gamma Ray Observatory.

The two-and-one-half to five-year mission is an important bridge to
NASA's Origins Program, which seeks to answer the questions: "Where
did we come from? Are we alone?"

In-orbit checkout and calibration is scheduled to last 60 days,
followed by a 30-day science verification period, after which the
observatory is expected to begin its regular science mission.

For more information about the Space Infrared Telescope Facility,
visit their Web site at http://sirtf.caltech.edu/ .


-end-


  #2  
Old August 26th 03, 11:21 PM
Jonathan Silverlight
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Space Infrared Telescope Facility Lifts Off

In message , Ron Baalke
writes

Frank O'Donnell (818) 354-7170
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

Donald Savage (202) 358-1547
NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.

News Release: 2003-117
August 25, 2003

Space Infrared Telescope Facility Lifts Off


Congratulations!
 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
National Space Policy: NSDD-42 (issued on July 4th, 1982) Stuf4 Space Shuttle 150 July 28th 04 07:30 AM
G. Forbat's new theory of space REPLY to objections Gary Forbat Policy 0 July 5th 04 02:24 AM
Clueless pundits (was High-flight rate Medium vs. New Heavy lift launchers) Rand Simberg Space Science Misc 18 February 14th 04 04:28 AM
New NASA Facility Will Help Protect Space Crews From Radiation Ron Baalke Space Station 0 October 14th 03 04:23 PM
Space Infrared Telescope Facility Lifts Off Ron Baalke Science 0 August 25th 03 03:33 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 02:18 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 SpaceBanter.com.
The comments are property of their posters.