HETE-2 Rides Pegasus
Credit & Copyright: Courtesy
MIT,
NASA
Explanation:
The
Stargazer,
a modified Lockheed L-1011 aircraft, soared into
the skies above
Kwajalein Atoll in
the pacific on October 9th.
A small satellite observatory known as
the High Energy Transient Explorer - 2
(
HETE-2) was tucked into
Stargazer's winged
Pegasus
rocket, slung beneath the large trimotor jet's
fuselage.
Dropped
from its mother ship, the Pegasus then successfully flew
HETE-2 into orbit.
HETE-2's mission
is to hunt gamma-ray bursts, brief, random
flashes of high energy photons from the distant cosmos.
Gamma-ray bursts are impressive, believed to be
the most powerful explosions in the Universe, but
so few have been well located and studied that the
nature of the
bursters themselves is still shrouded in mystery.
HETE-2's x-ray and gamma-ray instruments will be able to rapidly
alert ground-based observatories
to point toward ongoing, bright gamma-ray bursts.
Communications antennae and solar panels neatly folded,
HETE-2 is seen
here being carefully enclosed in the Pegasus nose fairing.
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.
