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Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

Re: Swift & JMEX

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d30 … html]Swift

*Gamma-ray observatory.  Will orbit Earth at 375 mile altitude.  Launch is October 26, Delta 2 rocket.  Possesses Burst Alert, X-ray, and Ultraviolet/Optical telescopes. 

"An agile gamma-ray observatory with a focus on the most intense explosions in the cosmos -- cataclysmic blasts occurring every day throughout the universe that seemingly foreshadow the creation of black holes...

Swift spacecraft will detect and study the brilliant bursts of gamma-rays, which erupt in random points across the sky without warning...

'Gamma-ray bursts have ranked among the biggest mysteries in astronomy since their discovery over 35 years ago,' said Dr. Neil Gehrels...

Gamma-ray bursts last between a few milliseconds and a few minutes and never appear in the same spot again. They emit more than one hundred billion times the energy than the Sun does in an entire year. A lingering afterglow -- a phenomenon discovered just seven years ago -- can last hours or weeks in X-ray and optical light and radio waves, but strangely not all bursts have an afterglow..."

*Will be great to watch data return from Swift.  Article also discusses black holes.  Has partners in UK and Italy.

http://www.jupitertoday.com/news/viewsr … 30]Jupiter Magnetospheric Explorer

*Partnership opportunity documents.  But it's the first (IIRC)I've heard of this proposal.

--Cindy

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We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 28,958

Re: Swift & JMEX

Not sure why I did not find it by the search but thanks for pointing the way.

Reposted comments just trying to keep one thread going rather than two.

The Swift spacecraft is one of the largest, most sophisticated satellites in NASA's long line of Explorer missions. The mission was delayed from its original launch date of October 7 in the wake of Hurricane Frances. Then Hurricane Jeanne impacted a planned October 26 liftoff attempt. It is now scheduled to fly on November 8.

It was designed to detect gamma-ray blasts throughout the universe. Onboard X-ray Telescope and the Ultraviolet / Optical Telescope will be redirected after the Swift's Burst Alert Telescope detects a flash.

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 28,958

Re: Swift & JMEX

From Nasa another bungled mess. You will not like this delay either Cindy:

The launch date for NASA's Swift satellite - designed to detect and analyse gamma ray bursters - has been delayed thanks to a faulty third stage rocket on an unrelated launch. The mission has been given a new provisional launch date of 11 November.

NASA re-schedules Swift launch

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 28,958

Re: Swift & JMEX

Media Briefing On NASA's Newest Gamma-Ray Burst Mission Scheduled

http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2004/oc … a_ray.html

NASA's Swift satellite, which will pinpoint the location of gamma-ray burst explosions in the Universe, will be the subject of a news briefing Monday, Nov. 1, at 1 p.m. EST. The briefing will originate from the James Webb auditorium at NASA Headquarters in Washington, and will be broadcast live on NASA TV.

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 28,958

Re: Swift & JMEX

Once launched the Swift mission will study the explosive phenomena of gamma ray bursts.

Counting Down To Swift Launch

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 28,958

Re: Swift & JMEX

update on launch date:

Prelaunch Press Briefing and NASA Schedules Swift Spacecraft Launchfor launch Wednesday, Nov. 17 from Pad 17-A on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS), Florida.

Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

Re: Swift & JMEX

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d30 … ml]Finally -- !

*Successful launch today.  The link provides a detailed sequence of events.  Good luck to this mission.  I can hardly wait for the rewards to astronomy and etc. it'll give us. 

--Cindy

P.S.:  Wooo-hoooo!  :band:  Excellent descriptive in the sequence.  :up:  ::sigh::  Wish I could be part of this.  Wish I could have SEEN the launch, but just reading about it is a treat. 

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We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

Re: Swift & JMEX

*Photos of Swift's launch (very nice).  Being hosted today's date at spaceweather.com.  Taken by Mr. Ben Cooper who stood about 2-1/2 miles from the launch pad.  He said:  "This was the best unmanned daytime launch I have seen; beautiful, crystal clear!":

http://www.spaceweather.com/swpod2004/2 … er0.jpg]#2

http://www.spaceweather.com/swpod2004/2 … er1.jpg]#3

http://www.spaceweather.com/swpod2004/2 … er2.jpg]#4  (booster separation) -- REAL nice  :up:

http://www.spaceweather.com/swpod2004/2 … er3.jpg]#5  Off it goes -- into the wild blue yonder...!

http://www.spaceweather.com/swpod2004/2 … er4.jpg]#6

http://www.spaceweather.com/swpod2004/2 … er5.jpg]#7 

http://www.spaceweather.com/swpod2004/2 … er6.jpg]#8  Has left its boosters in the dust.

I mentioned in my previous post I'd like to have seen the launch...checked spaceweather.com this morning and apparently got my wish (even if in still-photo form -- but I'm not complaining). 

--Cindy

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We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

Re: Swift & JMEX

*New from spaceflightnow and in addition to the post above:

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d30 … html]Photo Gallery:  Mobile Service Tower rollback

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d30 … html]Delta 2 rocket launch (Boeing credit)

Excellent pics.  I think Mr. Cooper's pics (in the post above this one) are just as good.  Nice galleries overall.  :up:

--Cindy

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We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

GraemeSkinner

Member

From: Eden Hall, Cumbria

Registered: 2004-02-20

Posts: 563

Website

Re: Swift & JMEX

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap041224.html]APOD for 24th Dec, animation

Shows separation from the rocket.

Graeme

---

There was a young lady named Bright.
Whose speed was far faster than light;
She set out one day
in a relative way
And returned on the previous night.
--Arthur Buller--

Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

Re: Swift & JMEX

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/cosmology-05a.html]Swift performance already surpassing expectations!

*Wow! 

"The optimists among us were hoping to detect two bursts a week, not three in one day just after turning the telescope on," said Dr. Scott Barthelmy

They were still calibrating the Burst Alert Telescope on Swift when the first burst showed up on Dec. 17.  Additional bursts followed:  Three on Dec. 19 and one on Dec. 20.

Great. 

--Cindy

::EDIT::  Additional interesting information about the BAT:

The BAT is the most sensitive gamma ray detector ever flown. The BAT employs a novel technology to image and locate gamma ray bursts. Unlike visible light, gamma rays pass right through telescope mirrors and cannot be reflected onto a detector. The BAT uses a technique called "coded aperture mask" to create a gamma ray shadow on its detectors. The mask contains 52,000 randomly placed lead tiles that block some gamma rays from reaching the detectors. With each burst, some detectors light up while others remain dark, shaded by the lead tiles. The angle of the shadow points back to the gamma ray burst.

"The BAT coded aperture mask is about the size of a pool table, the largest and most intricate ever fabricated," said Ed Fenimore of Los Alamos National Laboratory, N.M. Los Alamos created the BAT software. "BAT can accurately pinpoint a burst within seconds and detect bursts five times fainter than previous instruments," he added.

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We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 28,958

Re: Swift & JMEX

Here are some more release links have not had the chance to review them yet.
Centre Daily Times (Penn.) article

NASA press release

Penn State University press release