From: LARRY KLAES (ljk4@msn.com)
Date: Tue Aug 27 2002 - 14:29:25 PDT
----- Original Message -----
From: Mark Hess
Sent: Friday, August 23, 2002 5:05 PM
To: News Media list.serv
Subject: NASA NAMES BUILDER FOR FUTUE GAMMA RAY OBSERVATORY
Nancy Neal August 23, 2002
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md
(Phone: 301/286-0039)
RELEASE: 02- 131
NASA NAMES BUILDER FOR FUTURE GAMMA RAY OBSERVATORY
NASA has selected Spectrum Astro, of Gilbert, AZ, to build the Gamma
ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) Observatory.
GLAST will have the ability to detect gamma rays from the most
energetic phenomena in the universe. Gamma rays are the most
energetic form of light; GLAST will detect gamma rays that are
roughly 10 million to 150 billion times more powerful than the light
visible to the human eye. Radiation of such a magnitude can only be
generated under the most extreme conditions: strongest gravity,
highest temperatures, most dense plasmas, extreme magnetic fields.
GLAST will observe thousands of black holes, magnetized pulsars,
gamma ray bursts, and other gamma ray sources throughout the Universe
and will directly contribute to NASA's mission to explore the
universe.
Under the terms of the delivery order valued at $107 million
(including the spacecraft, and all associated options), Spectrum
Astro will be responsible for the design and fabrication of the GLAST
Observatory, integration of the Government furnished instruments,
Observatory-level testing, and on-orbit Observatory check-out.
The delivery order was awarded under NASA/Goddard Space Flight
Center's Rapid II Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity Contract.
The contract is for Core Spacecraft Systems with non-standard
services such as operations, launch services, components, and studies
to meet the Government's space science, earth science, and technology
needs.
GLAST is part of the Structure and Evolution of the Universe science
theme within NASA's Office of Space Science. For this unique
endeavor-one that brings together the space astrophysics and particle
physics communities-NASA is teaming with the U.S. Department of
Energy and institutions in France, Germany, Japan, Italy and Sweden.
The launch is scheduled for September of 2006.
The GLAST mission will start with a one-year survey of the gamma-ray
sky, after which the observation program will be determined by
proposals from the international science community. The mission is
being designed for a lifetime of five years, with a goal of 10 years
of operations.
GLAST will be managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center,
Greenbelt, Md., for the Office of Space Science, Washington, DC
More information about the GLAST mission is available at the following website:
-end-
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.2 : Tue Aug 27 2002 - 14:50:08 PDT