 SWAS satellite | |
| Names | Explorer-74 SWAS SMEX-3 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Submillimetre astronomy |
| Operator | NASA / Goddard |
| COSPAR ID | 1998-071A |
| SATCAT no. | 25560 |
| Website | https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/swas/ |
| Mission duration | 2 years (planned) 6 years, 8 months and 26 days (achieved) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Explorer LXXIV |
| Spacecraft type | Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite |
| Bus | SWAS |
| Manufacturer | Goddard Space Flight Center |
| Launch mass | 288 kg (635 lb) |
| Payload mass | 102 kg (225 lb) |
| Dimensions | 1.63 × 1.02 m (5 ft 4 in × 3 ft 4 in) |
| Power | 230 watts |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 6 December 1998, 00:57:54 UTC |
| Rocket | Pegasus XL (F25) |
| Launch site | Vandenberg, Stargazer |
| Contractor | Orbital Sciences Corporation |
| Entered service | 19 December 1998 |
| End of mission | |
| Deactivated | 1 September 2005 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 638 km (396 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 651 km (405 mi) |
| Inclination | 69.90° |
| Period | 97.60 minutes |
| Instruments | |
| Submillimeter Wave Telescope | |
.gif) Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite mission patch | |
Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS, also Explorer 74 and SMEX-3) is a NASA submillimetre astronomy satellite, and is the fourth spacecraft in the Small Explorer program (SMEX). It was launched on 6 December 1998, at 00:57:54 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base aboard a Pegasus XL launch vehicle.[1] The telescope was designed by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) and integrated by Ball Aerospace, while the spacecraft was built by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC).[2] The mission's principal investigator is Gary J. Melnick.[1]
- ^ a b "Display: SWAS (1998-071A)". NASA. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Melnick2000was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
