Tenma, known as Astro-B before launch, was Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

's second X-ray astronomy

X-ray astronomy

X-ray astronomy is an observational branch of astronomy which deals with the study of X-ray observation and detection from astronomical objects. X-radiation is absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere, so instruments to detect X-rays must be taken to high altitude by balloons, sounding rockets, and...

 satellite, developed by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science

Institute of Space and Astronautical Science

is a Japanese national research organization of astrophysics using rockets, astronomical satellites and interplanetary probes. It is a division of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency .- History :...

. It was launched on February 20, 1983 using a M-3S-3

Mu (rocket)

The Mu, also known as M, was a series of Japanese solid-fuelled carrier rockets, which were launched from Uchinoura between 1966 and 2006...

rocket as the vehicle.

Battery failure in July 1984 caused the operation to become limited, and continuing problems lead to the termination of X-ray observation in 1985. It reentered the atmosphere on January 19, 1989.

Highlights

• Discovery of the iron helium-like emission from the galactic ridge
• Iron line discovery and/or study in many LMXRB, HMXRB and AGN
• Discovery of an absorption line at 4 keV in the X1636-536 Burst spectra

External links

• Tenma at ISAS
• Tenma at NASA