The Shuttle Launches an Inflatable Antenna
Explanation:
High above the
Earth
the
Space Shuttle Endeavor launches a new
type
of instrument - an inflatable antenna. The officially designated
Inflatable
Antenna Experiment was released Monday, May 20th, as part of a
Spartan
satellite - which contains many scientific experiments. The
antenna is roughly the size of a tennis court and is even
visible
from Earth. At the end of the mission, the antenna will be jettisoned
while the rest of the Spartan is recovered by the Shuttle. The function of
an antenna is to broadcast radio messages, and the large dish at the end
helps focus radio waves into a narrow beam which can be detected over long
distances.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
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rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
