The Space System for the High Energy Transient Experiment

The High Energy Transient Experiment (HETE) is an astrophysics project funded by NASA and led by the Center for Space Research (CSR) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It has for principal goal the detection and precise localization of the still mysterious sources of gamma ray bursts. The project is original in many respects. HETE will provide simultaneous observations of bursts in the gamma, X-ray and UV ranges from the same small (250 Ibms) space platform. A network of ground stations around the world will diffuse in real time key information derived from HETE observations to many ground observatories, allowing quick follow-on observations with ground instruments. The whole project is entirely managed by MIT, under top level NASA supervision, and satellite and ground stations will be remotely operated from CSA. The HETE system development is conducted with a small budget and under a short schedule.