High Energy Transient Explorer

High Energy Transient Explorer (HETE) is the name of two GRB space observatories, the first never reaching operation (in 1996, HETE-1) and a follow-on (HETE-2) with the same goals that was successfully deployed in 2000 and remained in operation until 2008. HETE was an international effort, launched by NASA. The goal was multi-wavelength observation of GRBs, including X-ray and ultraviolet observations. At any moment, it monitored a limited FOV, necessarily away from the Sun, also avoiding the Moon, but could sometimes narrow the direction to within that FOV down to less than square degree. Instruments:

• FREGATE - "French Gamma Telescope".
• WXM - wide-field X-ray Monitor.
• SXC - soft X-ray camera.