The International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) was launched January 26, 1978 in oroer to obtain ultraviolet spectra of astronomical sources. The Observatory has now surpassed its nominal design lifetime of three years in orbit. It carries a 45-cm Ritchie Chretien telescope which feeds two echelle spectrographs with integrating television cameras. Spectra can be obtained in the range from 1150A to 3200A, using either a high dispersion mode with a spectral resolving power of about 104 or a low dispersion mule with a resolution of about 7A. The satellite is in geosynchronous orbit, which has both operational and scientific advantages over low-orbit observatories. Although the problems of calibrating and monitoring the performance of the instrument in orbit have been substantial, its optical and photometric characteristics have proven to be remarkably stable. It should prove to be a useful astronomical facility for some time to come.

Date Published: 9 November 1981
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 0279, Ultraviolet and Vacuum Ultraviolet Systems, (9 November 1981); doi: 10.1117/12.965720

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 0279:
Ultraviolet and Vacuum Ultraviolet Systems
William R. Hunter, Editor(s)