Explorers Program: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 17:57, 27 March 2024

Revision as of 05:41, 3 April 2024

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=== SMEX, MIDEX, and Student Explorer programs ===

In 1988, the '''Small Explorer (SMEX)''' class was established with a focus on frequent flight opportunities for highly focused and relatively inexpensive space science missions in the disciplines of astrophysics and space physics.<ref name=NASAhistory>{{cite book|last=Rumerman|first=Judy A.|url=https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4012v7ch4.pdf|title=NASA Historical Data Book, Vol. VII: NASA Launch Systems, Space Transportation, Human Spaceflight, and Space Science, 1989-1998|publisher=NASA|date=2009|access-date=24 June 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/pdf/106477main_smex.pdf |title=NASA's Small Explorer Program: Faster, Better, Cheaper|work=Goddard Space Flight Center|publisher=NASA|date=January 1998|access-date=24 June 2019|archive-date=16 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216162632/https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/pdf/106477main_smex.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> The first three SMEX missions were chosen in April 1989 out of 51 candidates, and launched in 1992, 1996 and 1998<ref name=IEEE>{{cite conference|title=SAMPEX: NASA's First Small Explorer Satellite|conference=IEEE Aerospace Conference 21–28 March 1998 Aspen, Colorado|first1=G. M.|last1=Mason|first2=D. N.|last2=Baker|first3=J. B.|last3=Blake|first4=R. E.|last4=Boughner|first5=L. B.|last5=Callis|display-authors=et al.|volume=5|pages=389–412|date=1998 |doi=10.1109/AERO.1998.685848}}</ref> The second set of two missions were announced in September 1994 and launched in 1998 and 1999.<ref name=NASAhistory/>

In the mid 1990s, NASA initiated the '''Medium-class Explorer (MIDEX)''' to enable more frequent flights. These are larger than SMEX missions and were to be launched aboard a new kind of medium-light class launch vehicle.<ref name=NASAhistory/> This new launch vehicle was not developed and instead, these missions were flown on a modified [[Delta II]] rocket.<ref>{{cite web|author=Ed Kyle |url=http://www.spacelaunchreport.com/delta2.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100325164354/http://www.spacelaunchreport.com/delta2.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=25 March 2010|title=Delta II Data Sheet|publisher=Spacelaunchreport.com|access-date=2018-04-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://aviationweek.com/awin/nasa-taps-mcdonnell-med-lite-launches|title=NASA Taps Mcdonnell For Med-Lite Launches|magazine=Aviation Week|date=1996-03-04|access-date=2018-04-28}}</ref> The first announcement opportunity for MIDEX was issued in March 1995, and the first launch under this new class was [[Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer|FUSE]] in 1999.<ref name=NASAhistory/>

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| LEO

| March 28, 2007<ref>{{cite web |url=https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hete-2/ |title=Missions - HETE-2 - NASA Science |website=Science.nasa.gov |access-date=2016-02-24 |archive-date=22 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160722132241/http://science.nasa.gov/missions/hete-2/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

| In orbit

| MO: UV, X-ray, and gamma ray astronomy<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=2000-061A |title=NASA - NSSDCA - Spacecraft - Details |publisher=Nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov |date=2017-03-21 |access-date=2018-04-20}}</ref>