Mission Overview
Launched on April 30, 1996, by an Atlas-Centaur rocket from Cape Canaveral, BeppoSAX was a collaborative effort between the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the Netherlands Agency for Aerospace Programs (NIVR). The satellite’s name honors Italian physicist Giuseppe “Beppo” Occhialini 🔗, with “SAX” standing for “Satellite per Astronomia a raggi X,” meaning “Satellite for X-ray Astronomy.”
Scientific Objectives and Achievements
BeppoSAX was the first X-ray mission capable of observing targets across a broad energy range, from 0.1 to 300 kiloelectronvolts (keV).
This wide spectral coverage enabled comprehensive studies of various X-ray sources. One of its most notable achievements was identifying the origins of numerous gamma-ray bursts, linking them to extragalactic objects and enhancing our understanding of these powerful cosmic events.
Instrumentation
The satellite was equipped with several instruments designed for X-ray detection:
Low Energy Concentrator Spectrometer (LECS): Covered the 0.1–10 keV energy range.
Medium Energy Concentrator Spectrometer (MECS): Operated within the 1.3–10 keV range.
High Pressure Gas Scintillation Proportional Counter (HPGSPC): Sensitive to energies between 4–120 keV.
Phoswich Detector System (PDS): Functioned in the 15–300 keV range.
Wide Field Camera (WFC): Consisted of two units observing in the 2–30 keV range, each covering a 20° x 20° field of view.
These instruments allowed BeppoSAX to perform detailed spectroscopic and timing studies of cosmic X-ray sources.
Technical Specifications
- Launch Date: April 30, 1996.
- Orbit: Low Earth orbit at ~600 km altitude.
- Spectral Range: 0.1–300 keV.
- Primary Instruments: LECS, MECS, HPGSPC, PDS, WFC.
- Mission Duration: 6 years (1996–2002).
- Weight: ~1,400 kg.
Mission Duration and Legacy
Initially planned for a two-year mission, BeppoSAX’s operation was extended due to its scientific success and technical robustness. It was deactivated on April 30, 2002, after six years of service, and re-entered Earth’s atmosphere on April 29, 2003, concluding its mission.
The data collected by BeppoSAX have been instrumental in numerous scientific studies, significantly contributing to the field of X-ray astronomy and paving the way for future research.
