CHIPS (satellite)
NASA satellite that found no expected hot gas glow.
CHIPS (Cosmic Hot Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer, also Explorer 82 or UNEX-2, sometimes CHIPSAT) was a NASA Explorer program satellite launched on 12 January 2003 from Vandenberg Air Force Base aboard a Delta II with the larger satellite ICESat. It was the second of NASA's University Explorer (UNEX) mission class and performed spectroscopy from 90 to 250 Angstrom (9 to 26-nm) extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light. The mission aimed to study the million-degree gas in the local interstellar medium, but produced a null result with only very faint EUV emissions detected.
Quick Facts
- Names List
- Explorer 82 / UNEX-2 / CHIPS
- Mission Type
- Extreme ultraviolet research
- Operator
- NASA / Space Sciences Laboratory
- Satcat
- 27643
- Spacecraft
- Explorer LXXXII
- Spacecraft Type
- Cosmic Hot Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer
- Spacecraft Bus
- CHIPS
- Manufacturer
- SpaceDev
- Launch Mass
- 60 kg
- Dimensions
- 5 xx
- Launch Date
- 13 January 2003, 00:45:00 UTC
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Despite theoretical expectations of strong extreme ultraviolet emissions from hot interstellar gas within about 300 light-years of the Sun (the Local Bubble), CHIPS detected only very faint EUV emissions—a surprising null result. In September 2005, the spacecraft was converted to a solar observatory, and from 3 April 2006 to 5 April 2008 it performed 1458 observations of the Sun. Satellite operations were terminated on 11 April 2008 due to budget constraints.
Reader's Guide
CHIPS holds significance as the second NASA University Explorer mission and the first U.S. mission to use TCP/IP for end-to-end satellite operations control, demonstrating internet-based spacecraft command and data handling. Its primary scientific legacy is the unexpected null result for the Local Bubble's hot gas emissions, which challenged theoretical models of the local interstellar medium and prompted re-evaluation of the million-degree gas distribution near the Sun. The spacecraft's later conversion to a solar observatory extended its utility, providing over two years of solar EUV observations. CHIPS exemplifies how small, university-led missions can yield important scientific surprises and operational innovations.
Did You Know?
- The spacecraft was converted to a solar observatory in September 2005 and performed 1458 solar observations from 3 April 2006 to 5 April 2008.
- Despite expectations, CHIPS detected only very faint EUV emissions from the Local Bubble, a null result.
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