Location
Howard Johnson Plaza-Hotel, Atlantis/ Discovery Rooms
Start Date
24-4-1991 2:00 PM
End Date
24-4-1991 5:00 PM
Description
The Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO), the second in NASA's series of Great Observatories, is the next major thrust in astrophysics. The 35,000 pound satellite is scheduled for a Shuttle launch in April 1991. By observing the sky in gamma rays, which are the most energetic form of electromagnetic radiation, GRO will be exploring some of the most violent phenomena in the universe. The four instruments on the GRO will allow a comprehensive look at gamma ray emission from such sites as supernova remnants, pulsars, the Galactic Center, and quasars. GRO will also investigate intriguing astrophysical processes such as the origin of gamma-ray bursts, the balance of cosmic rays with gas and magnetic field in the Galaxy, and matter-antimatter annihilation. Plans for the mission include an all-sky survey during the first year, followed by selected observations in the second and succeeding years.
Paper Session II-A - Gamma Ray Observatory: Viewing the Violent Universe
Howard Johnson Plaza-Hotel, Atlantis/ Discovery Rooms
The Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO), the second in NASA's series of Great Observatories, is the next major thrust in astrophysics. The 35,000 pound satellite is scheduled for a Shuttle launch in April 1991. By observing the sky in gamma rays, which are the most energetic form of electromagnetic radiation, GRO will be exploring some of the most violent phenomena in the universe. The four instruments on the GRO will allow a comprehensive look at gamma ray emission from such sites as supernova remnants, pulsars, the Galactic Center, and quasars. GRO will also investigate intriguing astrophysical processes such as the origin of gamma-ray bursts, the balance of cosmic rays with gas and magnetic field in the Galaxy, and matter-antimatter annihilation. Plans for the mission include an all-sky survey during the first year, followed by selected observations in the second and succeeding years.
Comments
Science Payloads
Session Chairman: John M. Klineberg, Director, Goddard Space Flight Center,Greenbelt, MD
Session Organizer: Lee O’Fallon, Space Station Project Office, NASA, Kennedy Space Center, FL