Ginga (satellite)

Ginga
Names	Astro-C before launch
Mission type	X-ray Astronomy
Operator	Institute of Space and Astronautical Science; University of Tokyo
COSPAR ID	1987-012A
SATCAT no.	17480
Spacecraft properties
Launch mass	400 kg (880 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date	06:28:00, February 5, 1987 (UTC)
Rocket	M-3S2, mission M-3S2-3
Launch site	Uchinoura Space Center
End of mission
Decay date	November 1, 1991
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Eccentricity	0.01365
Perigee altitude	517 km (321 mi)
Apogee altitude	708 km (440 mi)
Inclination	31.1°
Period	97 min
Epoch	February 5, 1987

ASTRO-C, renamed Ginga (Japanese for 'galaxy'), was an

M-3SII launch vehicle. The primary instrument for observations was the Large Area Counter (LAC). Ginga was the third Japanese X-ray astronomy mission, following Hakucho and Tenma (also Hinotori

satellite - which preceded Ginga - had X-ray sensors, but it can be seen as a heliophysics rather than X-ray astronomy mission). Ginga reentered the Earth's atmosphere on 1 November 1991.

Instruments

Large Area Proportional Counter (LAC 1.5-37 keV)
All-Sky Monitor (ASM 1-20 keV)
Gamma-ray Burst Detector (GBD 1.5-500 keV)

Highlights

Discovery of transient Black Hole Candidates and study of their spectral evolution.

Discovery of weak transients in the galactic ridge.

Detection of cyclotron features in 3 X-ray pulsars: 4U1538-522, V0332+53, and Cep X-4.
Evidence for emission and absorption Fe feature in Seyfert probing reprocessing by cold matter.
Discovery of intense 6-7 keV iron line emission from the Galactic Center region.

External links

NASA/GSFC information of Ginga (ex Astro-C)