Tenma

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For other uses, see Tenma (disambiguation).
Tenma
Tenma (Japanese for "Pegasus")
NamesASTRO-B
Mission typeX-ray astronomy
OperatorISAS
COSPAR ID1983-011A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.13829
Mission duration5 years, 9 months, 27 days
Spacecraft properties
Launch mass216 kg (476 lb)[1]
Dimensions0.94 m × 0.895 m (3.08 ft × 2.94 ft)
Start of mission
Launch date20 February 1983, 05:10 UTC
RocketM-3S
Launch siteKagoshima Space Center
End of mission
DisposalDecommissioned
Last contact17 December 1988[2]
Decay date19 January 1989
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric[1]
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude489 km (304 mi)
Apogee altitude503 km (313 mi)
Inclination31.5°
Period94 minutes
← Hinotori (ASTRO-A)
Ginga (ASTRO-C) →

Tenma, known as ASTRO-B before launch, was a Japanese X-ray astronomy satellite developed by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science. It was launched on 20 February 1983, using a M-3S rocket on the M-3S-3 mission. It was the second X-ray observatory successfully operated by Japan after Hakucho (CORSA-B),[3][a] and it had a superior temporal and spectral sensitivity compared to its predecessor.[5]

Battery failure in July 1984 caused the operation to become limited, and continuing problems lead to the termination of X-ray observation on 11 November 1985,[6] however it remained in sporadic contact until 17 December 1988.[2] It reentered the atmosphere on 19 January 1989.[b]

Highlights

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  • Discovery of the iron helium-like emission from the galactic ridge.[6]
  • Iron line discovery and/or study in many LMXRB, HMXRB and AGN.[2]
  • Discovery of an absorption line at 4 keV in the X1636-536 Burst spectra.

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ Tenma was the third Japanese X-ray observatory launched, as CORSA-A was lost in a launch failure in 1976.[4]
  2. ^ The NORAD catalog considers Tenma's decay date occurred on 17 December 1988.[7]

Citations

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  1. ^ a b G. D. Krebs. "Astro B (Tenma)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  2. ^ a b c "Tenma | Spacecraft". isas.jaxa.jp. JAXA / ISAS. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
  3. ^ Y. Tanaka; M. Fujii; H. Inoue; et al. (1984). "X-ray astronomy satellite Tenma" (PDF). Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan. 36 (4): 641–658. Bibcode:1984PASJ...36..641T. doi:10.1093/pasj/36.4.641. ISSN 0004-6264.
  4. ^ G. D. Krebs. "Corsa A, B (Hakucho)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  5. ^ C. Simpson (1984). "Tenma - Japan's X-ray satellite". Spaceflight. Vol. 26. p. 284. Bibcode:1984SpFl...26..284S. ISSN 0038-6340.
  6. ^ a b L. Angelini; J. Allen (7 October 2003). "The Tenma [Astro-B] satellite". heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA / GSFC. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  7. ^ T. S. Kelso. "CelesTrak: Search Satellite Catalog". Retrieved 3 June 2020.
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