HEAT (High Energy Astronomical Telescope)

Developed by Istituto di Fisica Cosmica del Consiglio Nazionale de la Ricerca (CNR)

Balloon launched on 7/29/1995, from Base di Lancio Luigi Broglio, Trapani, Sicily, Italy

Purpose of the flight and payload description

The instrument consists mainly of the high-energy detector of another balloon-borne telescope known as the MIFRASO telescope (or X-PALLAS too) with an improved plastic scintillator anticoincidence system for charged particle rejection.

The primary characteristics of this nonimaging telescope are a 20-300 keV energy range, a sensitive area of 2700 cm2 and is mounted in a structure that includes an elevation drive system and azimuth control.

During this flight was carried out a hard X-ray observation of the Seyfert galaxy MCG 8-11-11, which showed the detection of a spectral feature around 112 keV and also an observation of the Crab Nebula as an in-flight calibration source of the telescope.

Details of the balloon flight

Balloon launched on: 7/29/1995 at 7:00 utc
Launch site: Base di Lancio Luigi Broglio, Trapani, Sicily, Italy  
Balloon launched by: Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI)
Balloon manufacturer/size/composition: Zero Pressure Balloon 1.000.000 m3
End of flight (L for landing time, W for last contact, otherwise termination time): 7/30/1995
Balloon flight duration (F: time at float only, otherwise total flight time in d:days / h:hours or m:minutes - ): 26 h 7 m
Landing site: Payload impact in the Atlantic Ocean 500 km W of Portugal shore at coordinates 37°16' N - 14° 36"W. Never recovered

Transmediterranean flight launched from Sicily and recovered in Spain

External references

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