[FPSPACE] vela spacecraft

[Allen Thomson]

Geoff Richards <grrichards at dsl.pipex.com> wrote:    > The Vela spacecraft carried a lot of sensors, but the main ones were for the 
gamma and X-ray flash and neutrons from a nuclear explosion. Other sensors 
added over the years monitored extreme ultraviolet, charged particles and 
the optical flash. I don't recall any ir sensors. 
   
  One of Vela's primary sensors was the bhangmeter, silicon photodiodes meant to look for the optical signature of nuclear explosions. While nominally intended for visible light, I wouldn't be surprised if their response extended some ways into the IR.