Explorer 66

E1036261

Explorer 66, better known as the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE), is a NASA satellite launched in 1989 that made landmark measurements of the cosmic microwave background radiation, providing key evidence for the Big Bang theory.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Explorer 66 canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (52)

Predicate Object
instanceOf NASA spacecraft ⓘ
artificial satellite ⓘ
cosmic microwave background observatory ⓘ
space observatory ⓘ
abbreviation DIRBE ⓘ
DMR ⓘ
FIRAS ⓘ
alsoKnownAs COBE ⓘ
Cosmic Background Explorer ⓘ
apoapsis ~900 km ⓘ
awardsAssociated 1992 Nobel Prize in Physics (to John C. Mather and George F. Smoot, based on COBE results) ⓘ
catalogDesignation COBE ⓘ
CMBTemperatureMeasured ~2.725 K ⓘ
countryOfOperator United States ⓘ
deactivationDate 1993-12-23 ⓘ
inclination ~99 degrees ⓘ
instrument Differential Microwave Radiometers ⓘ
Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment ⓘ
Far Infrared Absolute Spectrophotometer ⓘ
keyDiscovery confirmation that the CMB spectrum is a near-perfect blackbody ⓘ
detection of anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background ⓘ
launchContractor McDonnell Douglas ⓘ
launchDate 1989-11-18 ⓘ
launchSite Space Launch Complex 2W ⓘ
Vandenberg Air Force Base ⓘ
launchVehicle Delta 5920-8 ⓘ
launchYear 1989 ⓘ
manufacturer NASA Goddard Space Flight Center ⓘ
massAtLaunch ~2227 kg ⓘ
missionDuration ~4 years ⓘ
missionType astrophysics ⓘ
cosmology ⓘ
observatory ⓘ
notableResult first detailed full-sky map of the cosmic microwave background ⓘ
measurement of CMB temperature to high precision ⓘ
operator NASA ⓘ
orbitalPeriod ~103 minutes ⓘ
orbitRegime Sun-synchronous orbit ⓘ
orbitType low Earth orbit ⓘ
partOf NASA Explorer series ⓘ
periapsis ~900 km ⓘ
primaryObjective measure the cosmic microwave background radiation ⓘ
test predictions of the Big Bang theory ⓘ
principalInvestigator George F. Smoot ⓘ
program Explorer program ⓘ
projectScientist John C. Mather ⓘ
providedEvidenceFor Big Bang theory ⓘ
linked to: Big Bang
scientificDiscipline cosmology ⓘ
observational astronomy ⓘ
physical cosmology ⓘ
spaceAgency NASA ⓘ
spacecraftBus custom design ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.