The COBE Mission: Its Design and Performance Two Years after Launch
Abstract
COBE, NASA's first space mission devoted primarily to cosmology, carries three scientific instruments to make precise measurements of the spectrum and anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation on angular scales greater than 7^deg^ and to conduct a search for a diffuse cosmic infrared background radiation with 0.7^deg^ angular resolution. The mission goal is to make these measurements to the limit imposed by the local astrophysical foregrounds. The COBE instruments cover the wavelength range from 1.2 microns to 1 cm. The instruments are calibrated periodically in orbit using internal calibrators and celestial standards. The observing strategy is designed to minimize and allow determination of systematic errors that could result from space-craft operations, the local environment of the spacecraft, and emission from foreground astrophysical sources such as the Galaxy and the solar system. The emission orbit and the scanning techniques provide full sky coverage, while simultaneously minimizing solar and terrestrial radiation on the instruments and reducing thermal and radiative perturbations of the measurements. The three instruments are complementary in that combined data from all are needed to discriminate cosmological emissions from other astrophysical sources. Operational experience after launch shows that flight performance generally meets or exceeds the design goals. COBE has now completed 2 years of flight operations, and a third year has been initiated. Initial C0BE data products are planned for release in 1993 June.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- October 1992
- DOI:
- 10.1086/171797
- Bibcode:
- 1992ApJ...397..420B
- Keywords:
-
- Cosmic Background Explorer Satellite;
- Infrared Radiation;
- Microwaves;
- Relic Radiation;
- Spaceborne Astronomy;
- Astronomical Satellites;
- Radiation Measurement;
- Satellite Instruments;
- Astrophysics;
- ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES;
- SPACE PROBES;
- COSMOLOGY: COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGROUND