Wide-Field Infrared Explorer (WIRE)
Mission Facts
Launch Date:March 4, 1999
Launch Vehicle:Orbital Sciences Corporation Pegasus XL
Launch Site:Western Range/VAFB
Orbit: 540 km x 590 km, 97.56 degree Inclination
Mission Duration:4 Months
Weight: 258.7 kilograms at launch
Power: 135 Watts
Latest Update
The WIRE instrument is out of cryogen. All non-instrument systems on the spacecraft are working. WIRE is now being used to conduct astroseismology investigations and as a test-bed for other science opportunities, technology infusion, risk management, educational outreach, and training.



New information on the mission
WIRE anomaly information describing the loss of the WIRE primary science mission.
WIRE Technologies
The many people who contributed to WIRE

Instrument Overview

WIRE is a Small Explorer Mission designed to study the evolution of starburst galaxies and search for distant ultra-luminous galaxies. The instrument consists of a cryogenically-cooled, 30 cm imaging telescope which will detect faint astronomical sources in two infrared wavelength bands.

Science Objectives
Question 1: What fraction of the luminosity of the Universe at a redshift of 0.5 and beyond is due to starburst galaxies?
Question 2: How fast and in what ways are starburst galaxies evolving?
Question 3: Are luminous protogalaxies common at redshifts < 3?
Key Science Parameters

Wavelength: Conduct a survey in two passbands centered near 12 um and 25 um
Sensitivity: 0.1-0.3 mJy at 12um, 0.3-1.0 mJy (5-sigma) at 25 um (~1000 times fainter than IRAS Faint Source Catalog)
Sky Coverage: ~10 sq. deg in deep survey, ~500 sq. deg in moderate-depth survey
Expected Sample Size: 10^5 starburst galaxies, 10^4 stars, 10^4 quasars?
Expected Redshifts: L* starburst galaxies (most common) out to 0.5, ULIRGs (very luminous) out to 3+
Resolution (FWHM): 15 arcsec at 12um, 22 arcsec at 25um
Exposure Time: ~1 minute/exposure, ~10^3-10^4 seconds/field
Observing Efficiency: 70%

Principal Investigator

Dr. Perry Hacking
Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Vanguard Engineering

Mission Implementers

JPL:Science Experiment Management
Science Instrument (JPL-SDL/USU)
Science Operations and Data Analysis (JPL/IPAC)
GSFC: Mission Management
Systems Engineering
Spacecraft Bus
Operations
Launch Vehicle

Instrument - Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Space Dynamics Laboratory/USU

Detectors: Two 128x128 Si:As Blocked Impurity Band (BIB) Arrays -Boeing North American (formerly Rockwell)
Telescope:30cm Cassegrain; no moving parts - Space Dynamics Laboratory/USU
Optics:Two diamond turned mirrors, one dichroic, one filter - Space Dynamics Laboratory/USU
Electronics: WIRE instrument electronics, pyro drive electronics - Space Dynamics Laboratory/USU
Cryostat:Solid hydrogen; dual stage 7K/12K - Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center

Spacecraft Bus - Goddard Space Flight Center

SMEX Computer System: 80386/80387 Processor, 300 Mbyte Solid State Recorder
Communication System: S-band Transponder, 2-Kbps Uplink, 2.25 Mbps Downlink
Attitude Control System: 8085 Processor, Analog Acquisition, 1 Arcmin Pointing, 6 Arcsec Jitter
SMEX Power Electronics: Direct Energy Transfer
Mechanical Structure: M55J/954-3 and K1100/954-3 Cyanate Ester Fiber Reinforced Composites
Battery: 9 Amp/Hr "Super" Nickel Cadmium
Solar Arrays: Gallium Arsenide Solar Cells
Actuators: (4) Reaction Wheels, (3) Magnetic Torque Rods
Sensors: 3-axis Gyro Package, Star Tracker, Digital Sun Sensor, (6) Coarse Sun Sensors, 3-axis Magnetometer, Wide-Angle Earth Sensor

 Observatory

Mission Requirements Document
The WIRE mission requirements are detailed in the Mission Requirements Document.

System Requirements Document
The WIRE system requirements are detailed in the System Requirements Document.

Missile System Pre-Launch Safety Package
The WIRE mission safety details are in the MSPSP.

ACS FSW Software User's Guide
Attitude control system flight software design details are in ACS FSW User's Guide.

WIRE Anomaly Database
The WIRE I&T anomalies can be found at WIRE Anomalies.

WIRE Trending Data
The WIRE Trending Data can be found at WIRE Trending.

WIRE Credits
Find a list of WIRE contributors here.

Back to the SMEX project home page or the GSFC home page.
Author: David Everett, WIRE Mission System Engineer Curator: Tim Singletary (tsingle@sunland.gsfc.nasa.gov)
Revision: February 9, 2000