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Science Instruments

Operations

SIM
SIM
The focal plane instruments are mounted on the Science Instrument Module (SIM). The SIM contains mechanisms to move the science instruments in and out of the focal plane, insulation for thermal control, and electronics to control the operation of the science instruments via the communication, command and data management systems of the spacecraft.

The science instruments are controlled by commands transmitted from the Operations Control Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. A preplanned sequence of observations is uplinked to Chandra and stored in the onboard computer for later execution.

Data collected by observations with Chandra are stored on a recorder for later transmission to the ground every eight hours during regularly scheduled Deep Space network contacts. The data is then transmitted to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and then to Operations Control at the Chandra X-ray Center (CXC) in Cambridge, MA for processing and analysis by scientists.

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Revised: January 02, 2008