ISEE-3 ~ Explorer 3

Several weeks ago we commented that a privately funded group was working to get the 30 year old ISEE-3, better known as Explorer 3, spacecraft up and running. They raised money, got permission from NASA and got her all going. The intent was to position it in an Earth-Sun axis and see what they could learn.

However, there doesn't seem to be enough juice left in the tubes to fire her stabilizers and put her on the new course. So she continues on lonely journey, slowing dying. And thus it was meant to be.

They have however turned on five of Explorer 3's instruments and will begin data mining the cosmos for things like gamma rays. Read on.

Not bad for privately funded astro-scientists!