Infrared Space Observatory

Infrared Space Observatory
Scheme of the telescope
NamesISO
OperatorESA with significant contributions from ISAS and NASA
COSPAR ID1995-062A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.23715
WebsiteISO at ESA science
Mission duration28 months 22 days
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerAérospatiale
BOL mass2498 kg
Start of mission
Launch date01:20, 17 November 1995 (UTC) (1995-11-17T01:20Z)
RocketAriane 4 4P
Launch siteELA-2
End of mission
Deactivated16 May 1998
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeHighly elliptical
Perigee altitude1000 km
Apogee altitude70600 km
Period24 hr
Orbiter
Main
TypeRitchey-Chrétien
Diameter60 cm
Focal length900 cm, f/15
Wavelengths2.4 to 240 micrometre (infrared)
ISO legacy mission insignia
Legacy ESA insignia for the ISO mission

The Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) was a space telescope for infrared light designed and operated by the European Space Agency (ESA), in cooperation with ISAS (now part of JAXA) and NASA. The ISO was designed to study infrared light at wavelengths of 2.5 to 240 micrometres and operated from 1995 to 1998.[1]

The 480.1-million satellite[2][3] was launched on 17 November 1995 from the ELA-2 launch pad at the Guiana Space Centre near Kourou in French Guiana. The launch vehicle, an Ariane 44P rocket, placed ISO successfully into a highly elliptical geocentric orbit, completing one revolution around the Earth every 24 hours. The primary mirror of its Ritchey-Chrétien telescope measured 60 cm in diameter and was cooled to 1.7 kelvins by means of superfluid helium. The ISO satellite contained four instruments that allowed for imaging and photometry from 2.5 to 240 micrometres and spectroscopy from 2.5 to 196.8 micrometers.

ESA and the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center made efforts to improve the data pipelines and specialized software analysis tools to yield the best quality calibration and data reduction methods from the mission. IPAC supports ISO observers and data archive users through in-house visits and workshops.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference ESA-ISO was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Kessler, Martin (November 2003). "ISO - Mission & Satellite Overview Volume I" (PDF).
  3. ^ "ISO Handbook Volume I (GEN)". ESA COSMOS. Retrieved 2024-05-17.

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