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The Small Astronomy Satellite 2 (SAS-2)

photo of SAS-2
The second NASA Small Astronomy Satellite (SAS-2) was dedicated to gamma-ray astronomy in the energy range above 35 MeV. SAS-2 was launched on 1972 November 15 and began operations on 1972 November 19. On 1973 June 8, a failure of the low-voltage power supply ended the collection of data.

Mission Characteristics

* Lifetime : 19 November 1972 - 8 June 1973
* Energy Range : 20 MeV - 1 GeV
* Payload :
  • 32-level wire spark-chamber aligned with satellite spin axis (20 MeV-1 GeV), eff. area 540 cm2
* Science Highlights:
  • The first detailed look at the gamma-ray sky.
  • Established the high energy component of diffuse celestial radiation.
  • Correlated the gamma-ray background with galactic structural features.
* Archive : Raw data, image and exposure maps
[About SAS-2] [Archive] [Gallery] [Publications]

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Last modified: Thursday, 26-Jun-2003 13:48:54 EDT