NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
The Cosmic Background Explorer /COBE/The Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite, under study by NASA since 1976, will map the spectrum and the angular distribution of diffuse radiation from the universe over the entire wavelength range from 1 micron to 1.3 cm. It carries three instruments: a set of differential microwave radiometers (DMR) at 23.5, 31.4, 53, and 90GHz, a far infrared absolute spectrophotometer (FIRAS) covering 1 to 100 per cm, and a diffuse infrared background experiment (DIRBE) covering 1 to 300 microns. They will use the ideal space environment, a one year lifetime, and standard instrument techniques to achieve orders of magnitude improvements in sensitivity and accuracy, providing a fundamental data base for cosmology. The instruments are united by common purpose as well as similar environmental and orbital requirements. The data from all three experiments will be analyzed together, to distinguish nearby sources of radiation from the cosmologically interesting diffuse background radiations. Construction is planned to begin in 1982 for a launch in 1988.
Document ID
19820055203
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Mather, J. C.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Laboratory for Extraterrestrial Physics, Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 10, 2013
Publication Date
August 1, 1982
Publication Information
Publication: Optical Engineering
Volume: 21
Subject Category
Launch Vehicles And Space Vehicles
Accession Number
82A38738
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available