On April 5, 1991, the Compton Gamma-ray Observatory (CGRO) was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis from Kennedy Space Center. From 1991, the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) and its Burst and Transient Source Explorer (BATSE) instrument, an extremely sensitive gamma-ray detector, provided data that showed the distribution of GRBs is isotropic—not biased towards any particular direction in … This was compelling evidence GRBs were exploding in distant galaxies, an interpretation later shown to be correct. Following 14 years of effort, the observatory was launched from Space Shuttle Atlantis during STS-37 on April 5, 1991, and operated until its deorbit on June 4, 2000. Gamma rays are a non-visible form of light created by nature's hottest and most cataclysmic events. This allowed astronomers to measure a redshift of 1.6 and a distance of 3.2 Gpc. It definitively showed that the majority of gamma-ray bursts must originate in distant galaxies, not nearby in our own. Such objects are an important Compton was safely deorbited and re-entered the Earth's atmosphere on June 4, … Relevance to Astrobiology Explanation: The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) was the most massive instrument ever launched by a NASA Space Shuttle in 1991 and continues to revolutionize gamma-ray astronomy. This data is used in models that help researchers better understand the Universe and the conditions in which planetary systems form and evolve. The second Great Observatory was the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory launched into Earth orbit from space shuttle Atlantis in 1991. Costing $617 million,[4] the CGRO was part of NASA's "Great Observatories" series, along with the Hubble Space Telescope, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, and the Spitzer Space Telescope. The tracks of the high-energy electron and positron created were measured within the detector volume, and the axis of the V of the two emerging particles projected to the sky. It was the heaviest astrophysical payload ever flown at that time at 17,000 kilograms (37,000 lb). GRO's specific mission is to study the sources and astrophysical processes (e.g., nuclear reactions, electron bremsstrahlung, matter-antimatter annihilation, elementary particle producation and decay, Compton scattering, and synchrotron radiation) that produce that highest energy electromagnetic … In order of increasing spectral energy coverage: The Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center searched the sky for gamma-ray bursts (20 to >600 keV) and conducted full-sky surveys for long-lived sources. It was designed to study the gamma-ray sky over the energy range of 30 keV to 30 GeV. EGRET discovered that the gamma-ray sky was filled with blazars, a type of quasar (an object powered by a black hole millions to billions times the mass of our sun) with a jet of subatomic particles shooting out in our direction at nearly the speed of light. Putting all these devices together into a coherent mission to investi-gate the unexplored gamma-ray uni-verse was the challenge of the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory Project. The Chandra X-ray Observatory, launched in 1999 by the Space Shuttle Columbia, is still looking at X-rays. The instrument had a field of view of one steradian. 1991 s37 GRO copy.jpg. Launch Date/Time: 1991-04-05T14:23:00Z Launch Vehicle: Shuttle Launch Site: Cape Canaveral, United States Decay Date: 2000-06-04. [4] Unlike the Hubble Space Telescope or the International Space Station, it was not designed for on-orbit repair and refurbishment. 2 3 An accretion disk and jet associated with the center of an active galaxy — a gamma-ray quasar. Thus the CsI backing crystal acted as an active anticoincidence shield, vetoing events from the rear. CGRO was built by TRW (now Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems) in Redondo Beach, California. The Imaging Compton Telescope (COMPTEL) by the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, the University of New Hampshire, Netherlands Institute for Space Research, and ESA's Astrophysics Division was tuned to the 0.75-30 MeV energy range and determined the angle of arrival of photons to within a degree and the energy to within five percent at higher energies. [6] Each module consisted of both a NaI(Tl) Large Area Detector (LAD) covering the 20 keV to ~2 MeV range, 50.48 cm in dia by 1.27 cm thick, and a 12.7 cm dia by 7.62 cm thick NaI Spectroscopy Detector, which extended the upper energy range to 8 MeV, all surrounded by a plastic scintillator in active anti-coincidence to veto the large background rates due to cosmic rays and trapped radiation. The Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) measured high energy (20 MeV to 30 GeV) gamma-ray source positions to a fraction of a degree and photon energy to within 15 percent. Following 14 years of effort, the observatory was launched from Space Shuttle Atlantis during STS-37 on April 5, 1991, and operated until its deorbit on June 4, 2000. The four detectors were typically operated in pairs of two. A finer level of angular collimation was provided by a tungsten slat collimator grid within the outer CsI barrel, which collimated the response to a 3.8° x 11.4° FWHM rectangular FOV. It took its name from the 20th-century US physicist Arthur Holly Compton. The Compton was the 2nd of the Great Observatories to be launched, after the Hubble Space Telescope and before the Chandra X-ray Observatory … The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory ( GRO) was a sophisticated satellite observatory dedicated to observing the high-energy Universe. By Ben Evans | … The CGRO was named after Arthur Compton, an American physicist and former chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis who received the Nobel prize for work involved with gamma-ray physics. Compton was designed to observe the universe in the gamma-ray portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. It was deployed to an altitude of 450 km on April 7, 1991 when it was first launched. Media in category "Compton Gamma Ray Observatory" The following 26 files are in this category, out of 26 total. Then known simply as the Gamma Ray Observatory, it was soon renamed in honor of Arthur Holly Compton, an American physicist and Nobel laureate who discovered that high-energy light underwent a change in wavelength when it scattered off electrons and other charged particles. CGRO was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-37) on April 5, 1991. The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) was a sophisticated satellite observatory dedicated to observing the high-energy Universe. The mission provides nearly six orders of magnitude in spectral coverage, from 30 keV to 30 GeV, with sensitivity over the entire range an order of magnitude better than that of previous … Gamma rays would Compton scatter in a forward detector module, where the interaction energy E1, given to the recoil electron was measured, while the Compton scattered photon would then be caught in one of the second layers of scintillators to the rear, where its total energy, E2, would be measured. CGRO s37-96-010.jpg. [10], After one of its three gyroscopes failed in December 1999, the observatory was deliberately de-orbited. The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) is a sophisticated satellite observatory dedicated to observing the high-energy Universe. Any reference in this website to any person, or organization, or activities, products, or services related to such person or organization, or any linkages from this web site to the web site of another party, do not constitute or imply the endorsement, recommendation, or favoring of the U.S. Government, NASA, or any of its employees or contractors acting on its behalf. The Burst And Transient Source Experiment (BATSE), the Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Experiment (OSSE), the Imaging Compton Telescope (COMPTEL), and the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET). [10] It was reboosted twice using onboard propellant: in October 1993 from 340 km to 450 km altitude, and in June 1997 from 440 km to 515 km altitude, to potentially extend operation to 2007. With enough bursts, they thought, the distribution of GRBs would concentrate in certain regions, such as the galactic plane. Sign-up to get the latest in news, events, and opportunities from the NASA Astrobiology Program. Compton was safely deorbited and re-entered the Earth's atmosphere on June 4, … For cosmic gamma-ray events, the experiment required two nearly simultaneous interactions, in a set of front and rear scintillators. Gamma ray burst 990123 (23 January 1999) was one of the brightest bursts recorded at the time, and was the first GRB with an optical afterglow observed during the prompt gamma ray emission (a reverse shock flash). At the time, the observatory was still operational; however the failure of another gyroscope would have made de-orbiting much more difficult and dangerous. In that time, observations from its 4-instrument complement have greatly expanded our understanding of the most energetic objects in the Universe. Data from CGRO informs numerous studies supported by the NASA Astrobiology Program. Its detector operated on the principle of electron-positron pair production from high energy photons interacting in the detector. Science Highlights. Compton, at 17 tons, was the heaviest astrophysical payload ever flown at the time of its launch on April 5, 1991 aboard the space shuttle Atlantis. Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory: see gamma-ray astronomy gamma-ray astronomy, study of astronomical objects by analysis of the most energetic electromagnetic radiation they emit. This finally convinced the community that GRB afterglows resulted from highly collimated explosions, which strongly reduced the needed energy budget. When CGRO launched, most astronomers thought gamma-ray bursts were related to dense neutron stars in our galaxy. Christyl Johnson (Deputy Director, Technology and Research Investments), High Energy Astronomy Observatory Program, This page was last edited on 18 April 2021, at 22:27. The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory was the second of NASA's Great Observatories. Relevance to Astrobiology. Catalog numbers, years of issue, and notes on the satellites featured are given when available. At 17 1/2 tons. Named in honor of Nobel Prize winner, Dr. Arthur Holly Compton, CGRO was the second of NASA’s “Great Observatories” following the Hubble Space Telescope 1990 launch and was at the time of launch, the heaviest astrophysical payload ever flown on board the Shuttle. A strong burst could result in the observation of many thousands of gamma-rays within a time interval ranging from ~0.1 s up to about 100 s. The Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Experiment (OSSE) by the Naval Research Laboratory detected gamma rays entering the field of view of any of four detector modules, which could be pointed individually, and were effective in the 0.05 to 10 MeV range. A plastic scintillator across the front of each module vetoed charged particles entering from the front. As its name suggests, it was a gamma ray astronomy mission, designed to observe the most energetic events in the universe. While Hubble’s instruments operate at visible and ultraviolet wavelengths, Compton carried a collection of four instruments which together could detect an unprecedented broad range of high-energy radiation called gamma rays. It was the second in NASA ’s program of orbiting “Great Observatories”, following the Hubble Space Telescope. [3] It was deployed in low Earth orbit at 450 km (280 mi) to avoid the Van Allen radiation belt. NASA Astrobiology Involvement During a gamma-ray source observation, one detector would take observations of the source, while the other would slew slightly off source to measure the background levels. 1991. The observatory featured four main telescopes in one spacecraft, covering X-rays and gamma rays, including various specialized sub-instruments and detectors. it was the heaviest astrophysical payload ever flown at the time of … The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, which ended its mission in 2000, was focused on the most energetic events in the universe like supernova blasts and shattering gamma ray bursts. Finally, their total energy was measured in a large calorimeter scintillation detector at the rear of the instrument. The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) was a space observatory detecting photons with energies from 20 keV to 30 GeV, in Earth orbit from 1991 to 2000. Explanation: The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) was the most massive instrument ever launched by a NASA Space Shuttle and continues to revolutionize gamma-ray astronomy. And then there is the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO), which also just passed the 25th anniversary of its launch. Launch Information. How Deadly Would a Nearby Gamma Ray Burst Be? Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory. This orbiting observatory sees the sky in gamma-ray photons - light so blue humans can't see it. The vector, V, connecting the two interaction points determined a direction to the sky, and the angle θ about this direction, defined a cone about V on which the source of the photon must lie, and a corresponding "event circle" on the sky. Apply for "The PI Launchpad: From Science Idea to NASA Mission". Sudden increases in the LAD rates triggered a high-speed data storage mode, the details of the burst being read out to telemetry later. Successors to CGRO include the ESA INTEGRAL spacecraft (launched 2002), NASA's Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Mission (launched 2004), ASI AGILE (satellite) (launched 2007) and NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (launched 2008); all remain operational as of 2019. It was the second in NASA’s program of orbiting “Great Observatories”, following the Hubble Space Telescope. The instruments are the largest of their kind that have Using four years of data it discovered 271 sources, 170 of which were unidentified. gamma-ray instrument builders. In operation from 1991 to 1999, it was named in honour of Arthur Holly Compton, one of the pioneers of high-energy physics. The unscheduled EVA was needed to free CGRO’s high-gain antenna, which was stuck in its launch configuration. Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (Compton Observatory; CGRO) The second in NASA's series of Great Observatories, launched by the space shuttle Atlantis into a low Earth orbit Apr. The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) was the second of NASA's Great Observatory satellites, after the Hubble Space Telescope. The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory was launched on 5 April 1991 as part of NASA's Great Observatories program. Combining the measured energy of the burst in gamma-rays and the distance, the total emitted energy assuming an isotropic explosion could be deduced and resulted in the direct conversion of approximately two solar masses into energy. It consisted of eight identical detector modules, one at each of the satellite's corners. Discovered that gamma-ray bursts were distributed evenly over the whole sky; Mapped the Milky Way using the 26-Aluminum gamma-ray line The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory was the second of NASA's Great Observatories. [5] It was the second of the series to be launched into space, following the Hubble Space Telescope. The Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory, or CGRO for short, was the second of NASA's great observatories. The Arthur Holly Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (Compton) was launched by the Space Shuttle Atlantis on 5 April 1991; The spacecraft and instruments are in good health and returning exciting results. Before Compton loses more stabilizing gyroscopes, NASA is considering firing onboard rockets to bring it on a controlled reentry into the ocean. The Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory prior to deployment, still attached to space shuttle Atlantis by the robot arm, during the STS-37 mission in April 1991. Cgro line labels.png 750 × 560; 189 KB. Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO), U.S. satellite, one of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) “Great Observatories” satellites, which is designed to identify the sources of celestial gamma rays. CGRO carried a complement of four instruments that covered an unprecedented six orders of the electromagnetic spectrum, from 20 keV to 30 GeV (from 0.02 MeV to 30000 MeV). Naval Research Laboratory. A further barrel-shaped CsI shield, also in electronic anticoincidence, surrounded the central detector on the sides and provided coarse collimation, rejecting gamma rays and charged particles from the sides or most of the forward field-of-view (FOV). Compton's successful career ended in June 2000 when the observatory reentered Earth's atmosphere. The Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (CGRO) has been in Earth orbit for nearly six years now. [dubious – discuss] It entered the Earth's atmosphere on 4 June 2000, with the debris that did not burn up ("six 1,800-pound aluminum I-beams and parts made of titanium, including more than 5,000 bolts") falling into the Pacific Ocean. The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) was a space observatory detecting photons with energies from 20 keV to 30 GeV, in Earth orbit from 1991 to 2000. The Arthur Holly Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (Compton) is the second in NASA's series of Great Observatories. The Observatory was named in honor of Dr. Arthur Holly Compton, who won the Nobel prize in physics for work on scattering of high-energy photons by electrons – a process which is central to the gamma-ray detection techniques of all four instruments. Because of the requirement for a near coincidence between the two interactions, with the correct delay of a few nanoseconds, most modes of background production were strongly suppressed. he Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) is the sec-ond of the great observatory series of four spacecraft NASA plans to launch. NSSDCA ID: 1991-027B. CGRO carried four instruments to study the high-energy Universe, Dr. Arthur Holly Compton (left) and Luis Alvarez (right). EGRET was developed by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, and Stanford University. And 20 years after its demise, we look back at what it revealed. If readers know of additional information or images, please contact the authors using the e-mail addresses at the bottom of this page. CGRO carried a complement of four instruments that covered an The separation of GRBs into two time profiles: short duration GRBs that last less than 2 seconds, and long duration GRBs that last longer than this. Scientific results from CGRO are helping exoplanet researchers determine the types and locations of systems that could support habitable planets. It is the second in NASA's program of orbiting "Great Observatories", following the Hubble Space Telescope. Trajectory Details. From the collection of many event energies and event circles, a map of the positions of sources, along with their photon fluxes and spectra, could be determined. The instruments could slew with a speed of approximately 2 degrees per second. CGRO was an international collaboration and additional contributions came from the European Space Agency and various universities, as well as the U.S. Launched on 1991 April 5, Compton represents a dramatic increase in capability over previous gamma- ray missions. The Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (GRO) is one of NASA's four "Great Observatories". "The end of an era, a discovery era, for gamma ray astronomy," Gehrels said. [12] (see also Skylab), Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, "NASA – NSSDCA – Spacecraft – Trajectory Details", "Gamma-Ray Astronomy in the Compton Era: The Instruments", "Spaceflight Now | CGRO Deorbit | NASA space telescope heads for fiery crash into Pacific", "CGRO SSC >> EGRET Detection of Gamma Rays from the Moon", "CGRO SSC >> Successful Reboost of Compton Gamma Ray Observatory", "Satellite Marked for Extinction Plunges Into the Sea, on Target (Published 2000)", "Entry Debris Field estimation methods and application to Compton Gamma Ray Observatory", NASA's GRO Remote Terminal System Installed at Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex, Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), Independent Verification and Validation Facility (IV&V), Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility (CSBF), Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRS), High Energy Astronomy Observatory 2 [Einstein Observatory], https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Compton_Gamma_Ray_Observatory&oldid=1018595701, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles with disputed statements from April 2021, Wikipedia articles with BIBSYS identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with multiple identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. No description available. [10] Over time the orbit decayed and needed re-boosting to prevent atmospheric entry sooner than desired. The mission provided insights into the basic structure of the Universe and distribution of high-energy radiation that could play a role in the habitability of planets. The positions of the interactions, in both the front and rear scintillators, was also measured. With some controversy, NASA decided in the interest of public safety that a controlled crash into an ocean was preferable to letting the craft come down on its own at random. Bursts were typically detected at rates of roughly one per day over the 9-year CGRO mission. The two detectors would routinely switch roles, allowing for more accurate measurements of both the source and background. The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) was the second of the NASA "Great Observatories" to be launched to space, following the Hubble Space Telescope. NASA's Compton Gamma Ray Observatory drifts away from the space shuttle Atlantis on April 7, 1991, following its deployment during the STS-37 mission. Mission Overview The COMPTEL instrument completed an all sky map of, The OSSE instrument completed the most comprehensive survey of the galactic center, and discovered a possible, The BATSE instrument averaged one gamma ray burst event detection per day for a total of approximately 2700 detections. This page contains philatelic information on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) satellite. The EGRET instrument conducted the first all sky survey above 100 MeV. Trajectory Description. [11], This de-orbit was NASA's first intentional controlled de-orbit of a satellite. The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory helped open up a new window to the cosmos. The spacecraft and scientific instruments are all in good health, and many significant discoveries have already been made. This was a completely unexpected result. Under Ramo's guidance, TRW was a pioneering developer of missile systems and spacecraft, including the Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 probes to Jupiter and the outer solar system; instruments for the Viking 1 and Viking 2 martian landers; and NASA's Compton Gamma Ray Observatory and Chandra X-ray Observatory, among other projects. Cartoon CGRO.jpg 245 × 192; 66 KB. Complications Solution Conclusion - in 1999 one of its gyroscopes (device that help position space telescopes) failed - NASA was worried that if the second gyroscope failed, it'd be hard to control NASA brought it out of orbit and it broke apart and burned above the Pacific Ocean The observatory featured four main telescopes in one spacecraft, covering X-rays and gamma rays, including various specialized sub-instruments and detectors. Gamma rays are shorter in wavelength and hence more energetic than X rays (see gamma radiation) but much harder to detect and to pinpoint. The Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory was launched April 7, 1991 and observed the high-energy Universe until June 4, 2000 when it safely de-orbited and burned up in the Earth's atmosphere.The mission of CGRO was to study gamma-ray emissions in not only our galaxy, but other galaxies beyond ours.In addition, it was to investigate how neutron stars and black holes change over time. From these two energies, E1 and E2, the Compton scattering angle, angle θ, can be determined, along with the total energy, E1 + E2, of the incident photon. CGRO space observatory Dr. Gerald Fishman Working on the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) 9127922.jpg. It was deployed in low earth orbit CGRO looms over STS-37 Mission Specialist Jay Apt as he works his way along the payload bay of Atlantis. CGRO’s EGRET instrument was used to produce an all-sky map of gamma rays. Compton, at 17 tons, was the heaviest astrophysical payload ever flown at the time of its launch on April 5, 1991 aboard the space shuttle Atlantis. Each detector had a central scintillation spectrometer crystal of NaI(Tl) 12 in (303 mm) in diameter, by 4 in (102 mm) thick, optically coupled at the rear to a 3 in (76.2 mm) thick CsI(Na) crystal of similar diameter, viewed by seven photomultiplier tubes, operated as a phoswich: i.e., particle and gamma-ray events from the rear produced slow-rise time (~1 μs) pulses, which could be electronically distinguished from pure NaI events from the front, which produced faster (~0.25 μs) pulses. The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory was the second of NASA's Great Observatories. Instead, BATSE showed that gamma-ray bursts occur all over the sky and their distribution bears no sign of the galaxy’s underlying structure. 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