Small Explorer program
Encyclopedia
The Small Explorer program (SMEX) is an effort within NASA
to fund space exploration
missions that cost no more than $120 million.
(GSFC). In the Spring of 1999, that office was closed and with the announcement of opportunity for the third set of SMEX missions NASA converted the program so that each mission was managed by its Principal Investigator, with oversight by the GSFC Explorers Project.
(NuSTAR), Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere
(AIM) and Interstellar Boundary Explorer
(IBEX). AIM was launched in 2007, IBEX in 2008, and NuSTAR is expected to launch in 2012.
NASA announced on June 19, 2009 that the two winning proposals were GEMS and IRIS.
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
to fund space exploration
Space exploration
Space exploration is the use of space technology to explore outer space. Physical exploration of space is conducted both by human spaceflights and by robotic spacecraft....
missions that cost no more than $120 million.
Program history
The first set of three SMEX missions were launched between 1992-07-03 and 1998-12-05. The second set of two missions were launched 1998-04-02 and 1999-03-05. These missions were managed by the Small Explorer Project Office at NASA's Goddard Space Flight CenterGoddard Space Flight Center
The Goddard Space Flight Center is a major NASA space research laboratory established on May 1, 1959 as NASA's first space flight center. GSFC employs approximately 10,000 civil servants and contractors, and is located approximately northeast of Washington, D.C. in Greenbelt, Maryland, USA. GSFC,...
(GSFC). In the Spring of 1999, that office was closed and with the announcement of opportunity for the third set of SMEX missions NASA converted the program so that each mission was managed by its Principal Investigator, with oversight by the GSFC Explorers Project.
Primary-phase missions
Three SMEX missions are currently funded for their primary missions: Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope ArrayNuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array
Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array is a planned space-based X-ray telescope that will use grazing incidence mirrors to focus high energy X-rays at 5 to 79 keV from astrophysical sources, especially for nuclear spectroscopy...
(NuSTAR), Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere
Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere
The Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere is a satellite to conduct a 26-month study of noctilucent clouds . It is the ninetieth Explorer program mission and is part of the NASA-funded Small Explorer program...
(AIM) and Interstellar Boundary Explorer
Interstellar Boundary Explorer
Interstellar Boundary Explorer is a NASA satellite that will make the first map of the boundary between the Solar System and interstellar space. The mission is part of NASA's Small Explorer program. The IBEX satellite was launched with a Pegasus-XL rocket on October 19, 2008, at 17:47:23 UTC...
(IBEX). AIM was launched in 2007, IBEX in 2008, and NuSTAR is expected to launch in 2012.
Extended-phase or completed missions
- Fast Auroral Snapshot ExplorerFast Auroral Snapshot ExplorerThe Fast Auroral Snapshot Explorer was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on board a Pegasus XL rocket on August 21, 1996. One in the series of NASA's Small Explorer spacecraft, FAST was designed to observe and measure the plasma physics of the auroral phenomena which occur around both poles...
(FAST) - Solar Anomalous and Magnetospheric Particle ExplorerSolar Anomalous and Magnetospheric Particle ExplorerThe Solar Anomalous and Magnetospheric Particle Explorer satellite was launched in July 1992 into a low earth orbit at an altitude of 520 by 670 km and 82 degrees inclination. The satellite, which has far exceeded its expected three-year lifetime, has primarily operated in a three-axis...
(SAMPEX) - Submillimeter Wave Astronomy SatelliteSubmillimeter Wave Astronomy SatelliteThe Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite was an astronomical observatory launched on December 5, 1998 as part of the Small Explorer program within NASA...
(SWAS) - Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE)
- Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic ImagerReuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic ImagerReuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager is the sixth mission in the line of NASA Small Explorer missions...
(RHESSI) - Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX)
Candidate missions
On 2008-05-29 NASA announced selection of six candidate mission proposals for further evaluation as part of SMEX. These include:- Coronal Physics Explorer (CPEX),
- Gravity and Extreme Magnetism SMEXGravity and Extreme Magnetism SMEXThe Gravity and Extreme Magnetism SMEX mission is a planned space observatory. The main scientific goal of GEMS is to be the first mission to systematically measure the polarization of cosmic X-Ray sources...
(GEMS), - Interface Region Imaging SpectrographInterface Region Imaging SpectrographThe Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph is a planned space probe to observe the Sun by NASA. It is a NASA Small Explorer program mission to investigate the physical conditions of the solar limb, particularly the chromosphere of the Sun...
(IRIS), - Joint Astrophysics Nascent Universe Satellite (JANUS),
- Neutral Ion Coupling ExplorerNeutral Ion Coupling ExplorerThe Neutral Ion Coupling Explorer is one of six proposed SMEX satellites under consideration by NASA. The goal of the NICE mission is to answer the question: How do neutral dynamics drive ionospheric variability? NICE will approach this goal with three targeted investigations of neutral-ion...
(NICE), - Transiting Exoplanet Survey SatelliteTransiting Exoplanet Survey SatelliteTransiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite is a proposed space telescope by MIT for NASA's Small Explorer program. It was not selected for development in the most recent Small Explorer phase A study round...
(TESS).
NASA announced on June 19, 2009 that the two winning proposals were GEMS and IRIS.