# HETE 1

> NASA astronomical satellite, lost after failing to separate from the launch vehicle's upper stage

**Wikidata**: [Q46540026](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q46540026)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/hete-1

## Summary
HETE 1 is an artificial satellite that was part of the High Energy Transient Explorer space observatory. It was launched on 1996-11-04 (COSPAR ID 1996-061A) by a Pegasus launch vehicle and re-entered the atmosphere on 2002-04-07.

## Key Facts
- HETE 1 is an artificial satellite (instance_of: artificial satellite).
- Part of the High Energy Transient Explorer space observatory program (part_of: High Energy Transient Explorer).
- COSPAR identifier: 1996-061A.
- Satellite catalog number (SCN/Satcat): 24645.
- Launch date: 1996-11-04.
- Launch vehicle: Pegasus (an air-launched rocket).
- Significant events recorded: rocket launch on 1996-11-04 and atmospheric entry on 2002-04-07.
- Time of orbit decay / atmospheric entry: 2002-04-07.
- Wolfram Language entity code: Entity["Satellite", "24645"].
- Wikidata short description: satellite.

## FAQs
### Q: What is HETE 1?
A: HETE 1 is an artificial satellite that formed part of the High Energy Transient Explorer space observatory. It carried the COSPAR ID 1996-061A and was cataloged as object 24645.

### Q: When and how was HETE 1 launched?
A: HETE 1 was launched on 1996-11-04. The launch vehicle used was Pegasus, an air‑launched rocket.

### Q: When did HETE 1 leave orbit / re-enter the atmosphere?
A: HETE 1 decayed from orbit and re-entered the atmosphere on 2002-04-07.

## Why It Matters
HETE 1 matters because it was an operational artificial satellite within the High Energy Transient Explorer space observatory program. As a component of a space observatory, HETE 1 contributed to the broader effort of placing dedicated instruments into orbit to observe transient high-energy phenomena (the parent program is classified as a space observatory). Its flight history — launched on 1996-11-04 and remaining in orbit until atmospheric entry on 2002-04-07 — marks a defined operational lifetime that is part of the program’s mission timeline. The satellite is tracked and recorded with standard international identifiers (COSPAR 1996-061A and satellite catalog number 24645), which preserve its technical and historical record for mission catalogs, orbital archives, and scientific program documentation. These identifiers and dates allow researchers and archivists to reference HETE 1 precisely in studies of space observatory deployments and the lifecycle of observational satellites.

## Notable For
- Being a constituent satellite of the High Energy Transient Explorer space observatory program.
- Launch on 1996-11-04 using a Pegasus air-launched rocket.
- International identification as COSPAR 1996-061A and satellite catalog number 24645.
- Documented atmospheric entry / orbit decay on 2002-04-07.
- Presence in standard computational catalogs (Wolfram Language entity Entity["Satellite","24645"]).

## Body

### Overview
- HETE 1 is classified as an artificial satellite.
- It is part of the High Energy Transient Explorer class, which is described as a space observatory.

### Identification and catalog numbers
- COSPAR ID: 1996-061A.
- Satellite catalog number (SCN): 24645.
- Wolfram Language entity code: Entity["Satellite", "24645"].
- Short descriptor: listed as "satellite" in Wikidata.

### Launch
- Launch date: 1996-11-04.
- Launch vehicle: Pegasus (an air‑launched rocket).
- A significant recorded event for HETE 1 is the rocket launch on 1996-11-04.

### Operational lifetime and decay
- HETE 1 remained in orbit from its launch on 1996-11-04 until orbit decay.
- Time of object orbit decay / atmospheric entry: 2002-04-07.
- A significant recorded event is atmospheric entry on 2002-04-07.

### Program context
- Parent program/class: High Energy Transient Explorer (space observatory).
- Role: HETE 1 is a satellite component within that space observatory class (no further mission-specific instrumentation or results are provided in the source material).

### References and records
- All identifiers and event dates are recorded in mission/spacecraft catalogs and referenced under catalog entries (e.g., SCN 24645, COSPAR 1996-061A).

## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report