ASTHROS
(Astrophysics Stratospheric Telescope for High Spectral Resolution Observations at Submillimeter-wavelengths)
(balloon-borne 2.5 m submillimeter telescope)
ASTHROS (for Astrophysics Stratospheric Telescope for High Spectral Resolution Observations at Submillimeter-wavelengths)
is a balloon-borne 2.5-meter submillimeter
reflector telescope in development for a flight
from near McMurdo Station in Antarctica.
It has a cryogenically-cooled dual-channel camera with
12 arcminute angular resolution at 122 μm
and 20 arcminute resolution at 205 μm.
Plans are to image star-forming regions in the Milky Way
and nearby galaxies, e.g., M83.
The aim is to spend three to four weeks at an altitude
of 40 kilometers (130,000 feet).
JPL ASTHROS website says the launch is scheduled for December 2024,
but earlier plans had been for December 2023. (December is summer
in Antarctica and an advantageous month for McMurdo Station's
balloon launches.)
(telescope,reflector,airborne,submillimeter,construction)
Further reading:
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/asthros
https://www.nrao.edu/meetings/isstt/papers/2020/2020000005.pdf
https://www.space.com/nasa-balloon-telescope-over-antarctica
https://phys.org/news/2022-06-nasa-stratospheric-balloon-mission-telescope.html
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-mission-will-study-the-cosmos-with-a-stratospheric-balloon
https://sites.wff.nasa.gov/code820/pages/operations/facilities_antarctica.html
| WaveL | Freq | Photon
Energy | | |
| 111μm | 2.7THz | 11meV | begin | ASTHROS |
| 214μm | 1.4THz | 5.8meV | end | ASTHROS |
|
Index