PDS_VERSION_ID                    = PDS3
RECORD_TYPE                       = FIXED_LENGTH
LABEL_REVISION_NOTE               = "
August 2, 2004, Carol Neese:  Create mission catalog.
"

OBJECT                            = MISSION
  MISSION_NAME                    = "MIDCOURSE SPACE EXPERIMENT"

  OBJECT                          = MISSION_INFORMATION
    MISSION_START_DATE            = 1996-04-24
    MISSION_STOP_DATE             = 1997-02-26
    MISSION_ALIAS_NAME            = "MSX"
    MISSION_DESC                  = "

    Mission Overview
    ================
    The Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) satellite, launched on April
    24, 1996, was five meters long and weighed 2,700 kg. It was inserted
    into a 900 km, polar, near-Sun synchronous orbit on a Delta II
    vehicle. The infrared sensors operated at 11 to 12 degrees Kelvin
    by employing a solid hydrogen cryostat. The IR instruments spanned
    the range 4.2 - 26 microns. The focal plane arrays included five
    radiometer bands with 8 x 192 pixels each, resulting in images with
    a spatial resolution of 90 microrad. The cryogen phase of the mission
    ended on 26 February 1997.
"

    MISSION_OBJECTIVES_SUMMARY    = "

    Mission Objectives Overview
    ===========================
    The principal goal of MSX was to collect phenomenology data in support 
    of ballistic missile defense objectives.  Additional objectives were to 
    collect data in support of a variety of civilian science objectives in 
    earth and atmospheric remote sensing and astronomy.  A full set of 
    experiments mapped the galactic plane, the IRAS (Infrared Astronomical 
    Satellite) gaps, the zodiacal background, confused regions away from 
    the galactic plane, deep surveys of selected fields at high galactic 
    latitudes, large galaxies, asteroids, and comets.
 "

  END_OBJECT                      = MISSION_INFORMATION

  OBJECT                          = MISSION_HOST
    INSTRUMENT_HOST_ID            = "MSX"

    OBJECT                        = MISSION_TARGET
      TARGET_NAME                 = "N/A"
    END_OBJECT                    = MISSION_TARGET

  END_OBJECT                      = MISSION_HOST

  OBJECT                          = MISSION_REFERENCE_INFORMATION
    REFERENCE_KEY_ID              = "MILLETAL1994"
  END_OBJECT                      = MISSION_REFERENCE_INFORMATION
END_OBJECT                        = MISSION
END