Sky Polarization Observatory
Encyclopedia
The Sky Polarization Observatory (SPOrt) was an Italian instrument planned for launch to the International Space Station
in for a planned 2 year mission beginning in 2007. There it would observe 80% of the sky for the Cosmic microwave background radiation in the frequency range from 20–100 GHz. Apart from detecting large scale CMB polarization it will also provide maps of Galactic synchrotron emission at lowest frequencies.
The project was headed by Stefano Cortiglioni of the IASF-CNR in Bologna and completely funded by the Italian Space Agency
. Due to the project's reliance on the Space Shuttle
, and the setback of the Columbia disaster, timely launch was unlikely. Cortiglioni therefore canceled the project in 2005 to allow his team to seek more promising research avenues.
with a pixel sensitivity of 1.7 μK.
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
in for a planned 2 year mission beginning in 2007. There it would observe 80% of the sky for the Cosmic microwave background radiation in the frequency range from 20–100 GHz. Apart from detecting large scale CMB polarization it will also provide maps of Galactic synchrotron emission at lowest frequencies.
The project was headed by Stefano Cortiglioni of the IASF-CNR in Bologna and completely funded by the Italian Space Agency
Italian Space Agency
The Italian Space Agency is a government agency established in 1988 to fund, regulate and coordinate space exploration activities in Italy...
. Due to the project's reliance on the Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
, and the setback of the Columbia disaster, timely launch was unlikely. Cortiglioni therefore canceled the project in 2005 to allow his team to seek more promising research avenues.
Instrumentation
SPOrt carries four feed horns sensitive at 22, 32 and 90 GHz which feed a bolometerBolometer
A bolometer is a device for measuring the power of incident electromagnetic radiation via the heating of a material with a temperature-dependent electrical resistance. It was invented in 1878 by the American astronomer Samuel Pierpont Langley...
with a pixel sensitivity of 1.7 μK.