WMAP

E418613

WMAP (Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe) was a NASA space observatory that precisely mapped the cosmic microwave background radiation, revolutionizing our understanding of the universe’s age, composition, and development.

All labels observed (8)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (71)

Predicate Object
instanceOf cosmic microwave background observatory
space observatory
spacecraft
alsoKnownAs MAP (Microwave Anisotropy Probe) before renaming
linked to: WMAP
angularResolution from about 0.21 to 0.88 degrees depending on frequency
constrained Hubble constant
baryon density of the universe
dark energy density of the universe
dark matter density of the universe
contractor Space Systems/Loral
countryOfOrigin United States
dataArchive NASA Legacy Archive for Microwave Background Data Analysis (LAMBDA)
dataRelease first-year data release 2003
five-year data release 2008
nine-year data release 2012
seven-year data release 2010
three-year data release 2006
dataUsage creation of full-sky CMB temperature maps
tests of Big Bang cosmology
decommissionDate 2010-10
determined age of the universe about 13.7 billion years
distanceFromEarth approximately 1.5 million kilometers
extendedMissionEnd 2010-08
found universe is composed of roughly 23 percent dark matter
universe is composed of roughly 4 percent baryonic matter
universe is composed of roughly 73 percent dark energy
universe is spatially flat to high precision
frequencyBands 23 GHz
33 GHz
41 GHz
61 GHz
94 GHz
fullName Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe
linked to: WMAP
instrumentType differential microwave radiometers
launchCountry United States
launchDate 2001-06-30
launchSite Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Space Launch Complex 17B ONNED1
launchVehicle Delta II 7425-10
linked to: Delta II
legacy established standard cosmological parameter set
revolutionized precision cosmology
massAtLaunch 840 kilograms
measured cosmic microwave background anisotropies
polarization of the cosmic microwave background
temperature fluctuations of the cosmic microwave background
missionStart 2001-06-30
missionType cosmology mission
space-based observatory
namedAfter David Todd Wilkinson NERFINISHED
operatedBy NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
operator NASA
orbit Lissajous orbit around Sun–Earth L2 point
orbitReference Sun–Earth system
orbitRegime Lagrange point orbit
PI Charles L. Bennett
power 419 watts
precededBy COBE
primaryMirrorDiameter 1.4 meters
primaryMissionEnd 2003-09
program NASA Explorer Program
provided precision measurements of cosmological parameters
renamedInHonorOf David Todd Wilkinson in 2001
resultPublishedIn Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
scanStrategy full-sky survey
scienceOperationsStart 2001-08
scienceTeamMember David N. Spergel
linked to: David Spergel

Gary Hinshaw NERFINISHED
Lyman Page
spacecraftBus LM-900
succeededBy Planck spacecraft
supportedTheory Lambda-CDM cosmological model
linked to: Lambda-CDM model

cosmic inflation

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (11)

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

Lambda-CDM model supportedBy WMAP observations
linked to: WMAP
Lissajous orbit wasUsedBy WMAP spacecraft
linked to: WMAP
NASA Explorer Program notableMission Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe
linked to: WMAP
WMAP Team notableWork Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe mission
linked to: WMAP
WMAP Team partOf Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe project
linked to: WMAP
WMAP Team usedInstrument Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe
linked to: WMAP
WMAP Team namedAfter David Todd Wilkinson (via WMAP spacecraft name)
linked to: WMAP
WMAP fullName Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe
linked to: WMAP
WMAP alsoKnownAs MAP (Microwave Anisotropy Probe) before renaming
linked to: WMAP