High Energy Transient Explorer 2
HETE-2 was an MIT-led international Explorer observatory built to detect gamma-ray bursts, determine their positions aboard the spacecraft, and distribute coordinates quickly enough for follow-up observations. Its three instruments observed gamma rays and soft-to-medium X-rays, while a global alert network relayed localizations to ground and space observatories.
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Identity
- Aliases
- HETE-2HETE IIExplorer 79
- Name
- High Energy Transient Explorer 2
- Slug
- high-energy-transient-explorer-2
- Status
- completed
Details
- Astronauts
- -
- Description
- HETE-2 was an MIT-led international Explorer observatory built to detect gamma-ray bursts, determine their positions aboard the spacecraft, and distribute coordinates quickly enough for follow-up observations. Its three instruments observed gamma rays and soft-to-medium X-rays, while a global alert network relayed localizations to ground and space observatories.
- End Date
- 2008-03-31
- Launch Site
- Outcome
- HETE-2 operated for more than seven years and made rapid gamma-ray-burst localization a routine observing technique. Its alerts enabled early afterglow measurements and contributed decisive observations connecting long-duration bursts with massive-star explosions and identifying counterparts to short-duration bursts.
- Program
- Explorer Program
- Start Date
- 2000-10-09
- Vehicle Families
Links
- Official Url
- https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hete-2/
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- July 18, 2026 at 15:45:23 UTC
- Updated Time
- July 18, 2026 at 15:45:23 UTC
Other
- Affiliations
- Space Stations
- -
- Vehicles