Orbital GALEX - Manual

Astrophysics
Mission Description
A NASA Small Explorer (SMEX) mission, GALEX used an ultraviolet telescope to explore the origin and
evolution of galaxies and the origins of stars and heavy elements. Originally scheduled for 28 months in
duration, GALEX was recently decommissioned following ten years of extended operations.
The main objectives of the GALEX program were to:
• Map the history of star formation in the Universe over the redshift range 0<z<2 (80 percent of the
age of the Universe), and answer fundamental questions:
(1) What is the star formation and metal production history of galaxies?
(2) When and where did the stars and elements we see today have their origins?
• Perform the first ultraviolet all-sky imaging survey (1,000,000 galaxies)
• Perform the first ultraviolet wide-area spectroscopic surveys (100,000 galaxies)
Orbital Sciences Corporation was the prime contractor for the GALEX spacecraft bus, instrument inte-
gration, and the satellite (spacecraft bus and instrument) environmental test campaign, as well as the
ground data system.
GALEX performed the first ultraviolet
all-sky survey covering approximately
1 million galaxies.
GALEX performed the first ultraviolet
wide area spectroscopic surveys
covering approximately 100,000
galaxies.
Mission:
NASA Small Explorer (SMEX) program
galactic astronomy
Customer:
California Institute of Technology
FACTS AT A GLANCE
GALEX spacecraft with solar arrays
stowed, in Orbital’s Dulles, Virginia satellite
manufacturing facility.
GALEX
The Galaxy Evolution Explorer
LEO