| content | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| AKARI | |
|---|---|
Artist's conception of AKARI
|
|
| General information | |
| Alternative names | ASTRO-F, IRIS |
| NSSDC ID | 2006-005A |
| Organization | JAXA |
| Launch date | 2006-02-21 |
| Launched from | Uchinoura Space Center, Japan |
| Mass | 955 kg |
| Orbit height | 694.5 km |
| Orbit period | 96.6 min |
| Location | Low Earth orbit |
| Telescope style | Richey-Chrétien reflector |
| Wavelength | infrared |
| Diameter | 0.67 m |
| Focal length | 4.2 m (189 ft) |
| Instruments | |
| Far-Infrared Surveyor (FIS) | far-infrared camera/spectrometer |
| Infra-Red Camera (IRC) | near-infrared camera/spectrometer |
| Website www.ir.isas.jaxa.jp/ASTRO-F/Outreach/index_e.html |
|
AKARI (launched under the name ASTRO-F) is an infrared astronomy satellite developed by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, in cooperation with institutes of Europe and Korea. It was launched on 21:28, February 21, 2006 UTC (06:28, February 22 JST) by M-V rocket into Earth sun-synchronous orbit. After its launch it was named AKARI (あかり).
Its primary mission is to survey the entire sky in near-, mid- and far-infrared, through its 68.5cm aperture telescope.
Its designed lifespan, of far- and mid-infrared sensors, is 550 days, limited by its liquid helium coolant. Near-infrared sensor will continue to operate after that with mechanical coolers at 40K.
The satellite is three-axis stabilized and the telescope is directed anti-Earth direction while the bus module faces toward Earth, to shield the telescope from the heat of Earth surface. The orbit is sun-synchronous and one side of the satellite is always directed toward Sun, and the telescope axis perpendicular to Sun, which simplifies heat shield design.
Its telescope mirror is made of silicon carbide to save weight. The budget for the satellite was 13,4 billion Yen. (~110 Million US-Dollar) [1]
Contents |
Status
By mid-August 2006, AKARI finished around 50 % of the all sky survey.[2]
By early November 2006, first (phase-1) all-sky survey finished. Second (phase-2) all-sky survey started on November 10, 2006.[3]
Due to the malfunction of sun-sensor after the launch, the ejection of telescope aperture lid was delayed, resulting the coolant lifespan estimate to be shortened to about 500 days from launch. However after JAXA estimated the remaining helium during early March 2007 observation time will be extended at least until September 9th.[4]
On July 11, 2007, JAXA informed that 90% of the sky was scanned twice. Also around 3500 selected targets have been observed so far. [5]
On August 26, 2007, liquid-Helium coolant depleted, which means the completion of far- and mid-infrared observation. 94% of the sky was scanned and more than 5000 pointed observations were done.[6]
The British and Japanese project team members were awarded a Daiwa Adrian Prize in 2004 by The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation in recognition of their collaboration.
During December 2007 JAXA performed orbit correction manoeuvres to bring AKARI back into its ideal orbit. This was necessary because the boiled off Helium led to an increase in altitude. If this would have continued energy supply would have been cut off. [7]
Results
http://www.ir.isas.jaxa.jp/ASTRO-F/Outreach/results/results_e.html
- Star formation over three generations in the nebula IC4954/4955 in the constellation Vulpecula
- The first infrared detection of a supernova remnant in the Small Magellanic Cloud
- Detection of mass-loss from relatively young red-giant stars in the globular cluster NGC 104
- Detection of the molecular gas surrounding the active galactic nucleus in the ultra luminous infrared galaxy
- The constellation Orion and the winter Milky Way at 140 micrometre
- Star forming region in the constellation Cygnus
- Active star formation viewed from the outside: The peculiar spiral galaxy M101
See also
- IRAS
- COBE
- Infrared Space Observatory
- Spitzer Space Telescope
- Herschel
- Infrared astronomy
- Space telescope
- List of spaceflights (2006)
External links
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
