Explorer: WISE (MIDEX 6)

WISE (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer), formerly known as NGSS (Next Generation Sky Survey), is a MIDEX class explorer mission to conduct an all-sky survey from 3.5 to 23 microns up to 1000 times more sensitive than the IRAS survey. A 6-month mission with a 1-month checkout, and 135% margin on cryogen lifetime, is planned. 4 color images of a 38'x38' FOV taken every 8.8 seconds, synchronized with the orbital motion to provide total sky coverage with overlap between revolutions.

The single WISE instrument is a four-channel imager which will take overlapping snapshots of the sky. It includes:

• HgCdTe and Si:As 10242 arrays at 3.5, 4.6, 12 and 23 microns giving 2.2" pixels.
• A two-stage solid-hydrogen cryostat to cool detectors and optics.
• A 50-cm telescope and reimaging optics giving 5" FHWM resolution (diffraction-limited to 10" at 25 microns).
• A scan mirror to stabilize the line-of-sight while the spacecraft scans the sky. 

WISE has been selected for an extended Phase A study leading to a decision in 2004 on whether to proceed with the development of the mission. WISE has been selected in August 2004 by NASA as its next Medium-Class Explorer. With this decision the WISE mission will proceed into Phase B (Definition Phase). This phase will conclude with a preliminary design review in April 2005.

WISE has been originally baselined for a Taurus-2210 launch, but a launch with on a Delta-7320-10C was finally selected. It was successfully launched on 14. December 2009.

Source: WISE Website

Last update: 27.09.2009
Contact: gunter.krebs@skyrocket.de
© Gunter Dirk Krebs