November 25, 2008 Vol. 1, Issue 11
The Einstein Observatory, the second of NASA’s three High Energy Astronomy Observatories, was launched into orbit on an Atlas-Centaur rocket on November 13, 1978.
Einstein, also known as HEAO-2, represented a quantum leap in X-ray astronomy capability. Its sensitivity was several hundred times greater than that of earlier dedicated X-ray missions such as Uhuru and SAS-3.
Einstein involved scientists from several institutions, including the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Columbia University, Goddard Space Flight Center, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It was the first X-ray observatory to include a Guest Observer Program, which enabled a broad community of scientists to make use of its facilities.
HEAO-2 operated continuously until April 1981.
Read more about HEAO-2 from the NASA History Office. (See p. 59.)
