Abstract

MSFC has been involved with solar and stellar x-ray programs from the earliest days of the space program. In fact, its predecessor organization, the Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA), flew the first orbital x-ray detector on Explorer VII. Over the years MSFC has been involved in numerous payloads for measuring solar and stellar x rays, including two solar x-ray telescopes on the Apollo Telescope Mount, the HEAO-2 (Einstein) Observatory, Spacelab payloads, a variety of sounding rockets, and now the Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF) program. The history of involvement with x-ray astronomy payloads at the MSFC is outlined dating back to the work at ABMA on Explorer VII. Technological advances achieved over the years are discussed. The AXAF program is briefly described.

© 1987 Optical Society of America