TV system considerations for the Space Telescope

The Space Telescope, designed as a permanent observatory in space, will be launched into orbit, maintained, and refurbished by the Space Shuttle. One of the primary instruments to fly with the telescope is the f/24 Camera. The camera's mission requirements and their impact on the choice and design of a television system are discussed, along with the system engineering aspects of the TV system design and spacecraft design. An SEC type television camera tube was selected as the primary data acquisition sensor, because of its ability to accommodate exposure times of several hours with only modest cooling.