Back إراس Arabic IRAS Catalan IRAS Czech IRAS Danish Infrared Astronomical Satellite German IRAS Greek IRAS (kosma observatorio) Esperanto IRAS Spanish IRAS Basque ایراس Persian
 Infrared Astronomical Satellite in space simulator at JPL | |||||||||
| Mission type | Infrared space observatory | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | |||||||||
| COSPAR ID | 1983-004A | ||||||||
| SATCAT no. | 13777 | ||||||||
| Website | irsa | ||||||||
| Mission duration | Final: 9 months, 26 days | ||||||||
| Spacecraft properties | |||||||||
| Manufacturer | |||||||||
| Launch mass | 1,083 kg (2,388 lb) | ||||||||
| Dimensions | 3.60 × 3.24 × 2.05 m (11.8 × 10.6 × 6.7 ft)[1] | ||||||||
| Start of mission | |||||||||
| Launch date | 25 January 1983, 21:17 UTC[3] | ||||||||
| Rocket | Delta 3910 | ||||||||
| Launch site | Vandenberg SLC-2W | ||||||||
| Entered service | 9 February 1983[2] | ||||||||
| End of mission | |||||||||
| Disposal | Decommissioned | ||||||||
| Deactivated | 21 November 1983[3] | ||||||||
| Orbital parameters | |||||||||
| Reference system | Geocentric | ||||||||
| Regime | Sun-synchronous | ||||||||
| Semi-major axis | 7,270.69 km (4,517.80 mi) | ||||||||
| Eccentricity | 0.001857 | ||||||||
| Perigee altitude | 879.05 km (546.22 mi) | ||||||||
| Apogee altitude | 906.05 km (562.99 mi) | ||||||||
| Inclination | 98.95 deg | ||||||||
| Period | 102.8 min | ||||||||
| Mean motion | 14.00 rev/day | ||||||||
| Epoch | 19 November 2016, 04:15:30 UTC[4] | ||||||||
| Main telescope | |||||||||
| Type | Ritchey–Chrétien[5] | ||||||||
| Diameter | 57 cm (22 in)[5] | ||||||||
| Focal length | 545 cm (215 in), f/9.56[5] | ||||||||
| Collecting area | 2,019 cm2 (312.9 sq in)[5] | ||||||||
| Wavelengths | Long-wavelength to far-infrared | ||||||||
| |||||||||
The Infrared Astronomical Satellite (Dutch: Infrarood Astronomische Satelliet) (IRAS) was the first space telescope to perform a survey of the entire night sky at infrared wavelengths.[6] Launched on 25 January 1983,[3] its mission lasted ten months.[7] The telescope was a joint project of the United States (NASA), the Netherlands (NIVR), and the United Kingdom (SERC). Over 250,000 infrared sources were observed at 12, 25, 60, and 100 micrometer wavelengths.[7]
Support for the processing and analysis of data from IRAS was contributed from the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center at the California Institute of Technology. Currently, the Infrared Science Archive at IPAC holds the IRAS archive.[8][9]
The success of IRAS led to interest in the 1985 Infrared Telescope (IRT) mission on the Space Shuttle, and the planned Shuttle Infrared Telescope Facility which eventually transformed into the Space Infrared Telescope Facility, SIRTF, which in turn was developed into the Spitzer Space Telescope, launched in 2003.[10] The success of early infrared space astronomy led to further missions, such as the Infrared Space Observatory (1990s) and the Hubble Space Telescope's NICMOS instrument.
- ^ Beichman 1988, p. II-1.
- ^ Neugebauer, G.; Habing, H. J.; van Duinen, R.; Aumann, H. H.; Baud, B.; et al. (March 1984). "The Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) mission" (PDF). Astrophysical Journal. 278: L1–L6. Bibcode:1984ApJ...278L...1N. doi:10.1086/184209. hdl:1887/6453.
- ^ a b c "Infrared Astronomical Satellite". NASA. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
- ^ "IRAS - Orbit". Heavens-Above. 19 November 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
- ^ a b c d Beichman 1988, p. II-8.
- ^ Beichman 1988, p. I-1.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
springerwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Infrared Astronomical Satellite". Infrared Processing and Analysis Center. Caltech. Archived from the original on 6 June 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
- ^ "Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS)". NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive. Caltech. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
- ^ "Early History". Spitzer Space Telescope. NASA. Archived from the original on 2 August 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2016.