Ginga (satellite)

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Ginga
Astro-c ginga.png
NamesAstro-C before launch
Mission type X-ray Astronomy
Operator Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
University of Tokyo
COSPAR ID 1987-012A OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
SATCAT no. 17480
Spacecraft properties
Launch mass400 kg (880 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date06:28,February 5, 1987(UTC) (1987-02-05T06:28:00Z)
Rocket M-3S2, mission M-3S2-3
Launch site Uchinoura Space Center
End of mission
Decay dateNovember 1, 1991 (1991-11-01)
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
  Tenma (ASTRO-B)
Asuka (ASTRO-D) 

ASTRO-C, renamed Ginga (Japanese for 'galaxy'), was an X-ray astronomy satellite launched from the Kagoshima Space Center on 5 February 1987 using 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.

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