The Wide-Field Infrared Explorer (WIRE) is a small cryogenic spaceborne infrared telescope being readied for launch in September 1998 as the fifth of NASA's Small Explorers. WIRE utilizes two 128 X 128 Si:As Focal Plane Arrays (FPAs) produced by Boeing North American with a 30 cm diameter Ritchey Cretien diamond turned mirror system. This mission takes advantage of recent advances in infrared array detector technology to provide a large sensitivity gain over previously flown missions. Two broad pass bands are defined for a deep pointed survey to search for protogalaxies and to study the evolution of starburst galaxies. The Space Dynamics Laboratory at Utah State University (SDL/USU) used the multifunction infrared calibrator and other special purpose cryogenic equipment to perform a ground characterization of the WIRE instrument. The focus was verified cold with two independent measurements. Both in-band and out-of-band Relative Spectral Response measurements were made; some sensitivity to temperature, bias voltage, and location on the long wavelength focal plane array were found. Dark current and dark noise measurements are also reported.

Date Published: 18 November 1998
PDF: 11 pages
Proc. SPIE 3437, Infrared Spaceborne Remote Sensing VI, (18 November 1998); doi: 10.1117/12.331335

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 3437:
Infrared Spaceborne Remote Sensing VI
Marija Strojnik; Bjorn F. Andresen, Editor(s)