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Project HEXE
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deutsche Version
Balloon - HEXE
The High Energy X-Ray Experiment (HEXE) was built and operated in
close collaboration with the Institut für Astronomie und
Astrophysik der Universität Tübingen
(IAAT, formerly AIT). It was
used during three successful balloon campaigns (May 1980 and September 1981
launched from Texas (USA), as well as November 1982 lauched from Uberaba
(Brazil)) to observe X-ray sources. HEXE was the successor of a detector
also built and operated by MPE and AIT, with which the famous cyclotron line
in Her X-1 has been discovered.
HEXE 1980 in Texas during tests.
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Close to the center of this picture, the four detector units within the
white square are visible. the two upper and the right lower unit are the
Phoswhich detectors, the lower left is the Germanium detector.
Below the detectors are the electronics boxes of the detector units, the
data transmission units and the electronics that aims the ballon gondola
and the detectors towards celestial objects. All the electronics boxes are
shielded against the extrene low temperatures in floating altitude
(40 km). The detectors will also be covered by thermal isolation.
The picture was taken during a calibration setup a few days before launch
when the magnetometers were calibrated within the Earth magbetic field.
The magnetometers are used during flight to detrmine the attitude of the
balloon gondola.
The detector units were aimed towards the observer when the picture was
taken. By rotating the detector block around a horizontal axis and a
vertical axis, all parts of the sky above horizon can be aimed at with
the instruments.
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Balloon campaign in Texas (USA) May 1980:
Photo credit: H. Steinle, MPE
Statistics of the three launches
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1980 |
1981 |
1982 |
| Place |
Palestine, Texas (USA) |
Palestine, Texas (USA) |
Uberaba (Brasilia) |
| Launch Team |
NCAR |
NCAR |
INPE/NSFB |
| Seize of Balloon |
0.97 Mio. m3 |
1.33 Mio. m3 |
0.97 Mio. m3 |
| Payload Weight |
1360 kg |
1500 kg |
1500 kg |
| Launch |
May 9, 16:07 UT |
September 28, 12:30 UT |
November 25, 12:30 UT |
| Float Altitude |
39 km |
40 km |
39 km |
| Flight Duration at Float |
46 hrs |
22 hrs |
1 hr (hole in balloon) |
A space-proof version of a section of the HEXE was operated since 1987 on
board the Russian space station Mir
(Mir-HEXE) until the de-orbiting of
Mir on March 23, 2001.
Last update: 2004-12-08 by H. Steinle
Contact person: H. Steinle
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MPE
HEXE
