Editing BeppoSAX (section)

{{Short description|Italian-Dutch satellite used for X-ray astronomy}}
{{Infobox spaceflight
| auto               = all
| name               = BeppoSAX
| names_list         = Satellite per Astronomia X

<!--image of the spacecraft/mission-->| image              = BeppoSAX.jpg
| image_caption      = Artist's conception of BeppoSax in space<br/>(credit: the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and BeppoSAX Science Data Center (SDC))
| image_size         = 240px

<!--Basic details-->| mission_type       = [[X-ray astronomy satellite|X-ray astronomy]]
| operator           = [[Italian Space Agency|ASI]]{{\}}[[Netherlands Agency for Aerospace Programmes|NIVR]]
| COSPAR_ID          = 1996-027A
| SATCAT             = 23857
| website            = {{URL|1=http://www.asdc.asi.it/bepposax/|2=www.asdc.asi.it/bepposax/}}
| mission_duration   = 7 years

<!--Spacecraft properties-->| manufacturer       = [[Alenia Aeronautica|Alenia]]<br />[[National Research Council (Italy)|CNR]]
| launch_mass        = {{convert|1400|kg|lb|order=flip|abbr=on}}
| payload_mass       = {{convert|480|kg|lb|order=flip|abbr=on}}
| dimensions         = {{convert|3.6|x|2.7|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| power              = 800&nbsp;W

<!--Launch details-->| launch_date        = {{start date|1996|04|30|04|31|7=Z}}
| launch_rocket      = [[Atlas-Centaur AC-78]]
| launch_site        = [[Spaceport Florida Launch Complex 36|LC-36B]], [[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station|Cape Canaveral]]

<!--end of mission-->| disposal_type      = decommissioned
| deactivated        = {{end date|2002|04|30|13|38|7=Z}}
| decay_date         = {{end date|2003|04|29|22|06|7=Z}}

<!--orbit parameters-->| orbit_epoch        = 30 April 1996, 03:31&nbsp;UTC<ref name="nasaNSSDC">{{cite web |url=https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1996-027A |title=NASA, NSSDC Master Catalog: 1996-027A |publisher=[[NASA]] |date=6 July 2015 |access-date=6 July 2015}}</ref>
| orbit_reference    = [[Geocentric orbit|Geocentric]]
| orbit_regime       = [[Low Earth orbit|Low Earth]]
| orbit_eccentricity = 0.00136
| orbit_periapsis    = {{convert|575|km|mi|abbr=on}}
| orbit_apoapsis     = {{convert|594|km|mi|abbr=on}}
| orbit_inclination  = 4&nbsp;degrees
| orbit_period       = 96.4&nbsp;minutes
| apsis              = gee

<!--Telescope parameters-->| telescope_type     = approximated [[Wolter telescope|Wolter type I]]<br />[[Coded aperture|Coded mask telescope]] (WFC)
| telescope_diameter = {{convert|6.8|to|16.2|cm|in|abbr=on}}
| telescope_focal_length = {{convert|1.85|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| telescope_area     = {{convert|22|to|600|cm2|sqin|abbr=on}}
| telescope_wavelength = [[X-ray]] to [[gamma ray]], 12&nbsp;[[nanometre|nm]]–4&nbsp;[[picometre|pm]] (0.1–300&nbsp;keV)
| instruments        = {{aligned table|fullwidth=y|style=text-align: left; font-size: 100%;
   |'''LECS'''| Low Energy Concentrator Spectrometer
   |'''MECS'''| Medium Energy Concentrator Spectrometer
   |'''HPGSPC'''&nbsp;| High Pressure Gas Scintillation Proportional Counter
   |'''PDS'''| Phoswich Detector System
   |'''WFC'''| Wide Field Camera
  }}
}}

'''BeppoSAX''' was an Italian–Dutch [[satellite]] for [[X-ray astronomy]] which played a crucial role in resolving the origin of [[gamma-ray burst]]s (GRBs), the most energetic events known in the universe. It was the first X-ray mission capable of simultaneously observing targets over more than 3 orders-of-magnitude of energy, from 0.1 to 300 [[kiloelectronvolt]]s (keV) with relatively large area, good (for the time) energy resolution and imaging capabilities (with a spatial resolution of 1 [[Minute of arc|arc minute]] between 0.1 and 10 keV). BeppoSAX was a major programme of the [[Italian Space Agency]] (ASI) with the participation of the [[Netherlands Agency for Aerospace Programmes]] (NIVR). The prime contractor for the space segment was [[Alenia Aeronautica|Alenia]] while [[Telespazio|Nuova Telespazio]] led the development of the [[ground segment]]. Most of the scientific instruments were developed by the [[National Research Council (Italy)|Italian National Research Council]] (CNR) while the Wide Field Cameras were developed by the [[Netherlands Institute for Space Research]] (SRON) and the LECS was developed by the astrophysics division of the [[European Space Agency]]'s [[European Space Research and Technology Centre|ESTEC]] facility.<ref name=saxov/>

BeppoSAX was named in honour of the Italian physicist [[Giuseppe Occhialini|Giuseppe "Beppo" Occhialini]]. SAX stands for "Satellite per Astronomia a raggi X" or "Satellite for X-ray Astronomy".<ref name=saxov>{{cite web|title=Mission overview|url=http://people.oas.inaf.it/amati/tesi/node8.html|access-date=October 13, 2022|publisher=Italian National Institute of Astrophysics}}</ref>

[[X-ray]] observations cannot be performed from ground-based telescopes, since Earth's atmosphere blocks most of the incoming radiation. One of BeppoSAX's main achievements was the identification of numerous [[gamma-ray burst]]s with extra-galactic objects.<ref>{{cite web|first=Marco |last=Feroci|title=Observation of Gamma-Ray Bursts by BeppoSAX|url=https://www.slac.stanford.edu/pubs/slacreports/reports08/ssi97-014.pdf|access-date=October 12, 2022|publisher=Stanford University}}</ref>

Launched by an [[Atlas-Centaur]] on 30 April 1996 into a low [[inclination]] (<4 degree) low-Earth orbit, the expected operating life of two years was extended to April 30, 2002, due to high scientific interest in the mission and the continued good technical status. After this date, the orbit started to decay rapidly and various subsystems were starting to fail making it no longer worthwhile to conduct scientific observations.<ref>{{cite web|first=Mark|last=Cleary|title=Atlas and Titan Space Operations at Cape Canaveral 1993-2006|url=https://afspacemuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/histories/AtlasTitan.pdf|work=USAF 45th Space Wing History Office|publisher=Air Force Space Museum|access-date=2022-10-14|archive-date=2022-12-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221201034842/https://afspacemuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/histories/AtlasTitan.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=saxstat/>

On April 29, 2003, the satellite ended its life falling into the Pacific Ocean.<ref>{{cite web|title=Latest news from the BeppoSAX project|url=https://www.ssdc.asi.it/bepposax/latestnews.html|access-date=October 12, 2022|publisher=Italian Space Agency}}</ref>