NSSDCA/COSPAR ID: 1995-074A
The X-Ray Timing Explorer (XTE) mission has the primary objective to study the temporal and broad-band spectral phenomena associated with stellar and galactic systems containing compact objects in the energy range 2--200 KeV, and in time scales from microseconds to years. The scientific instruments consists of two pointed instruments, the Proportional Counter Array (PCA) and the High-Energy X-ray Timing Experiment (HEXTE), and the All Sky Monitor (ASM), which scans over 70% of the sky each orbit. All of the XTE observing time will be available to the international scientific community through a peer review of submitted proposals. XTE uses a new spacecraft design that allows flexible operations through rapid pointing, high data rates, and nearly continuous receipt of data at the Science Operations Center at Goddard Space Flight Center via a Multiple Access link to the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS). XTE is highly maneuverable with a slew rate of greater than 6 degrees per minute. The PCA/HEXTE can be pointed anywhere in the sky to an accuracy of less than 0.1 degree, with an aspect knowledge of around 1 arc-minute. Rotatable solar panels enable anti-sunward pointing to coordinate with ground-based night-time observations. Two pointable high gain antennas maintain nearly continuous communication with the TDRSS. This, together with 1 GB (approximately four orbits) of on-board solid-state data storage, give added flexibility in scheduling observations.
Launch Date: 1995-12-30
Launch Vehicle: Delta II 7920
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral, United States
Mass: 3200 kg
Nominal Power: 800 W
Questions and comments about this spacecraft can be directed to: Coordinated Request and User Support Office
Name | Role | Original Affiliation | |
---|---|---|---|
Mr. James B. Joyce | Mission Operations Manager | NASA Goddard Space Flight Center | jjoyce@ccmime.gsfc.nasa.gov |
Mr. Dale F. Schulz | Project Manager | NASA Goddard Space Flight Center | dschulz@pop400.gsfc.nasa.gov |
Dr. John Lintott | Program Manager | NASA Goddard Space Flight Center | |
Mr. William D. Davis | Mission Manager | NASA Goddard Space Flight Center | william.d.davis.1@gsfc.nasa.gov |
Dr. Richard E. Rothschild | Mission Principal Investigator | University of California, San Diego | |
Dr. Jean H. Swank | Project Scientist | NASA Goddard Space Flight Center | swank@pcasun1.gsfc.nasa.gov |
Mr. James S. Barrowman | Project Manager | NASA Goddard Space Flight Center | jbarrowmn@pop400.gsfc.nasa.gov |
Dr. Louis J. Kaluzienski | Program Scientist | NASA Headquarters | |
Dr. Llewellyn W. Nicholson | Mission Manager | NASA Goddard Space Flight Center | |
Dr. Hale V. Bradt | Mission Principal Investigator | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | hale@mit.edu |
The RXTE Archive at HEASARC
MIT All Sky Monitor team page
UCSD High Energy X-ray Timing Experiment (HEXTE) team page
GSFC Proportional Counter Array (PCA) Team