These aluminum tubes act as a set of collimators to restrict the field of view of a proportional counter that is one of the flight spares from the SAS-1/Uhuru satellite. The Uhuru satellite, launched in 1970, was the first earth-orbiting spacecraft dedicated exclusively to X-ray astronomy.
The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory transferred this counter to NASM in 2002.
Display Status
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Country of Origin
United States of America
Type
INSTRUMENTS-Scientific
Manufacturer
American Science & Engineering, Incorporated
Uniform Tube Company
Dimensions
3-D (Tubes): 14 × 0.8 × 0.8cm (5 1/2 × 5/16 × 5/16 in.)
3-D (Plastic Box): 17.8 × 7.6 × 3.8cm (7 × 3 × 1 1/2 in.)
Materials
Aluminum
Copper Alloy
Inventory Number
A20020296000
Credit Line
Transferred from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.