The First Orbiting Astronomical Infrared Telescope System - Its Development And Performance

Allan G Conrad; William R Irace

doi:10.1117/12.966153

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9 January 1984 The First Orbiting Astronomical Infrared Telescope System - Its Development And Performance

Allan G Conrad, William R Irace

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Proceedings Volume 0445, Instrumentation in Astronomy V; (1984) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.966153
Event: 1983 Astronomy Conferences, 1983, London, United Kingdom

Abstract

The Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) was launched on January 25, 1983, and has provided astronomers with their first extended views of the universe in the 8 to 120 micron wavelength region. The infrared telescope system is one of several United States contribu-tions to this international project sponsored by the U.S.A., The Netherlands, and the U.K. This telescope employs four bands of detectors cooled to 2.4 K to achieve a noise equivalent flux density in the 10^-18to 10^-19watts/cm 2 range and will operate for approximately eleven months before depletion of its supply of superfluid helium. This paper describes major problems, early flight results and technical lessons learned during the course of the telescope's development and flight operations.

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Allan G Conrad and William R Irace "The First Orbiting Astronomical Infrared Telescope System - Its Development And Performance", Proc. SPIE 0445, Instrumentation in Astronomy V, (9 January 1984); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.966153

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