Small Astronomy Satellite 3 - Instrumentation

Instrumentation

SAS 3 carried four experiments:

1. Rotating Modulation Collimator (RMC) Experiment, which observed along the rotation (Z) axis of the spacecraft, covering the 2 —11 keV energy range, and providing high-precision locations of X-ray sources to an accuracy of up ~15 asec.
2. Slat collimated proportional counter instrument, covering 1—60 keV, looking out perpendicular to the spacecraft Z-axis, and providing coarse positions of unknown and transient sources.
3. Tube collimated proportional counter instrument, also covering 1—60 keV and also looking out perpendicular to the spacecraft Z-axis, for detailed study of the spectral behavior and time-variability of sources observed during pointed or dithered observations.
4. Low-Energy Detector (LED) system, covering 0.1-1 keV with a 2.9° FOV along the y-axis.