XMM Space Telescope Takes Self Portrait
 Paris - December 11, 1999 - The XMM spacecraft, launched on 10 December from Kourou, has sent back pictures of itself in space. The photographs were taken by two micro-cameras placed on the exterior of the spacecraft's focal plane assembly. Provided by OIP, subsidiary of Delft Sensor Systems, Antwerp, Belgium, the two cameras (10 x 6 x 6cm) each weigh but 430 grams.

Picture taken by XMM's FUGA camera showing the telescope tube and one solar array on the left. At the top of the picture, one sees the edges of the now deployed telescope sunshield. What appears as a white boom in centre is in fact one of the fixed lateral sunshield panels, seen side-on. 10 December 1999, 5 hours after launch.

The cameras are of two types: the FUGA camera has a logarithmic response, with a high dynamic range, providing a black and white picture. The exposure time of the second IRIS camera with a colour filter, can be modified. The field of view of both cameras is fixed (approx. 40 deg x 40 deg), giving a view along the telescope tube towards the service platform and the solar arrays.

These pictures were taken just under five hours after liftoff, at 19:25 UT (20:25 CET). XMM was then at an altitude of 55,300 km above the Earth's surface. Because of constraints due to the spacecraft's orientation at this time, the cameras could not have a view showing our planet.

Related Links

  • OIP - Delft Sensor Systems
  • ESA overview of XMM project
  • XMM Science and Engineering Overview
  • Horizon 2000 ESA Info Module - PDF File
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