The International Ultraviolet Explorer
Explanation:
The International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE)
was launched by a
NASA Delta rocket
in 1978 to provide a space telescope for
ultraviolet astronomy. A collaborative project among NASA,
ESA and the
British SRC (now PPARC) agencies, IUE's estimated lifetime was 3 to 5 years.
Amazingly, 17 years and 8 months later, it continues to operate, having
made over 100,000
observations
of comets, planets, stars, novae, supernovae, galaxies, and quasars.
The
IUE
story is a truly remarkable but little
known success story which will continue.
To reduce costs, on September 30, 1995, the IUE team
at GSFC will turn over its science operations to the
ESA ground station in
Villafranca, Spain where the ESA/PPARC teams will
continue to make astronomical observations.
Congratulations to the
GSFC team
for outstanding service to astronomy. Good luck to IUE and best wishes
for continued success!
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
