High Speed Photometer
Encyclopedia
The High Speed Photometer (HSP) was a scientific instrument
installed on the Hubble Space Telescope
. The HSP was designed to measure the brightness and polarity of rapidly varying celestial objects. It could observe in ultraviolet
, visible light, and near infrared
at a rate of one measurement per 10 microseconds. The design was novel in that despite being able to view through a variety of filters and apertures, it had no moving parts.
The HSP was one of the instruments on Hubble at launch. Its primary mission was compromised by the optical problems with the telescope, although some projects were still successful. During the first servicing mission
, in December 1993, it was replaced by the Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement
(COSTAR), which corrected the optical problem for the remaining instruments.
Measuring instrument
In the physical sciences, quality assurance, and engineering, measurement is the activity of obtaining and comparing physical quantities of real-world objects and events. Established standard objects and events are used as units, and the process of measurement gives a number relating the item...
installed on the Hubble Space Telescope
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope is a space telescope that was carried into orbit by a Space Shuttle in 1990 and remains in operation. A 2.4 meter aperture telescope in low Earth orbit, Hubble's four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared...
. The HSP was designed to measure the brightness and polarity of rapidly varying celestial objects. It could observe in ultraviolet
Ultraviolet
Ultraviolet light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays, in the range 10 nm to 400 nm, and energies from 3 eV to 124 eV...
, visible light, and near infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
at a rate of one measurement per 10 microseconds. The design was novel in that despite being able to view through a variety of filters and apertures, it had no moving parts.
The HSP was one of the instruments on Hubble at launch. Its primary mission was compromised by the optical problems with the telescope, although some projects were still successful. During the first servicing mission
STS-61
STS-61 was the first Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission, and the fifth flight of the Space Shuttle Endeavour. The mission launched on 2 December 1993 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission restored the spaceborne observatory's vision, marred by spherical aberration, with the...
, in December 1993, it was replaced by the Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement
Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement
The Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement is the instrument designed to correct Hubble Space Telescope's spherical aberration for light focused at the FOC, FOS and GHRS instruments. Built by Ball Aerospace Corp., it replaced the High Speed Photometer during the first Hubble...
(COSTAR), which corrected the optical problem for the remaining instruments.