Launch Success
Liftoff Time (GMT)
04:31:01
Tuesday April 30, 1996
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BeppoSAX was an Italian–Dutch satellite for X-ray astronomy which played a crucial role in resolving the origin of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), the most energetic events known in the universe. It was the first X-ray mission capable of simultaneously observing targets over more than 3 decades of energy, from 0.1 to 300 kiloelectronvolts (keV) with relatively large area, good (for the time) energy resolution and imaging capabilities (with a spatial resolution of 1 arc minute between 0.1 and 10 keV).
Low Earth Orbit
1 Payload
1,400 kilograms
10th
Mission
1st
Mission of 1996
28th
Orbital launch attempt