Astrophysics (Index)About

Interstellar Boundary Explorer

(IBEX, Explorer 91)
(satellite observing the ISM/heliosphere boundary)

The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) is a NASA (Small Explorer Program, SMEX) space mission dedicated to mapping the boundary between the solar system and interstellar space. It was launched in 2008 with the goal of a 2-year mission but remains active in 2024 and has the potential to operate for about thirty more years. Its work is detecting energetic neutral atoms (ENAs, which are generally from the heliosheath) which it carries out from Earth orbit. The instruments are IBEX-Hi and IBEX-Low which detect higher and lower energy ENAs.


(observatory,spacecraft,NASA)
Further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBEX
http://ibex.swri.edu/
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/ibex/
http://ibex.swri.edu/mission/index.shtml
https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/280255main_ibexfactsheetoct08.pdf
https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=2008-051A
https://blogs.nasa.gov/sunspot/2023/03/06/nasas-ibex-spacecraft-resumes-science-operations/

Referenced by page:
Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)

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