BeppoSAX was a major program of the Italian Space Agency
with participation of the Netherlands Agency for Aereospace Programs. It was
launched on April 30 1996 from Cape Canaveral and operated for 6 years.
It was the first X-ray mission with a scientific payload covering more
than three decades of energy - from 0.1 to 300 keV - with a relatively large effective
area, medium energy resolution and imaging capabilities in the range of 0.1-10 keV.
Mission Characteristics
Lifetime : 30 April 1996 - 30 April 2002
Energy Range : 0.1 - 300 keV
Special Features : Broad-band energy
Payload :
The Narrow field Instruments (NFI):
Four Xray telescopes working in conjnction with one of the following detectors:
Medium Energy Concentrator Spectrometer (MECS)
(three units) 1.3-10 keV, eff area total 150 cm2 @ 6
keV, FOV 56´ diameter, angular resolution for 50% total
signal radius 75" @ 6 keV.
High pressure Gas Scintillator Proportional Counter (HPGSPC)
4-120 keV, eff area 240 cm2 @ 30 keV
Phoswich Detection System (PDS)
15-300 keV. The lateral shields of the PDS are used as gamma-ray
burst monitor in the range of 60-600 keV. Eff area 600
cm2 @ 80 keV
Wide Field Camera
(2 units) 2-30 keV with a field of view 20 deg X 20 deg. The WFC are
perpendicular to the axis of the NFI and point in opposite directions
to each other. Eff area 140 cm2.
Science Highlight:
First arc-minutes position of GRBs. Position determination
on rapid time scale
First X-ray follow-up observations and monitoring of the GRB
Broad band spectroscopy of different classes of X-ray sources
Archive : Spectra, Lightcurves, Images and Raw data for
the MECS, LECS and PDS.
Lifetime : 30 April 1996 - 30 April 2002 