# Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array

> NASA X-ray space observatory

**Wikidata**: [Q163922](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q163922)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NuSTAR)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/nuclear-spectroscopic-telescope-array

Here’s the structured knowledge entry for the **Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR)**:

---

## Summary  
The **Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR)** is a NASA X-ray space observatory designed to study high-energy astrophysical phenomena. Launched in 2012, it is the first space telescope capable of focusing high-energy X-rays (3–79 keV) with high resolution. Operated by the University of California, Berkeley, NuSTAR explores black holes, supernova remnants, and other extreme cosmic objects.

## Key Facts  
- **Launch Date**: June 13, 2012, at 16:00:42 UTC ([source](https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/explorer_nustar.htm)).  
- **Launch Vehicle**: Pegasus rocket (Flight F41), air-launched from Kwajalein Atoll ([source](https://www.eoportal.org/satellite-missions/nustar)).  
- **Mass**: 360 kg (launch weight) ([source](https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/explorer_nustar.htm)).  
- **Orbit**: Low Earth orbit ([source](https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/explorer_nustar.htm)).  
- **Primary Instrument**: Two X-ray telescopes ([source](https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/explorer_nustar.htm)).  
- **Operator**: University of California, Berkeley ([source](https://www.eoportal.org/satellite-missions/nustar)).  
- **Principal Investigator**: Fiona A. Harrison ([source](https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nustar-principal-investigator-receives-astrophysics-prize)).  
- **Design Life**: 1 year (exceeded expectations) ([source](https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/explorer_nustar.htm)).  
- **Aliases**: Explorer 93, SMEX-11, NuSTAR.  

## FAQs  
### Q: What is NuSTAR’s primary mission?  
A: NuSTAR focuses on high-energy X-ray astronomy, studying black holes, neutron stars, and supernova remnants to understand extreme cosmic processes ([source](https://www.nustar.caltech.edu/)).  

### Q: How does NuSTAR differ from other X-ray telescopes?  
A: Unlike earlier telescopes, NuSTAR is the first to focus high-energy X-rays (3–79 keV) with high resolution, enabling sharper images of cosmic phenomena ([source](https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/explorer_nustar.htm)).  

### Q: Who built NuSTAR?  
A: It was manufactured by Orbital Sciences Corporation (now Northrop Grumman), with contributions from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and international partners ([source](https://www.eoportal.org/satellite-missions/nustar)).  

## Why It Matters  
NuSTAR revolutionized high-energy astrophysics by providing unprecedented clarity in X-ray observations. Its ability to focus hard X-rays has uncovered hidden black holes, mapped radioactive material in supernovae, and tested theories of gravity near compact objects. By complementing lower-energy telescopes like Chandra, NuSTAR fills a critical gap in our understanding of the universe’s most energetic events. Its discoveries impact fields from cosmology to particle physics, demonstrating NASA’s role in cutting-edge space science.  

## Notable For  
- **First high-energy focusing X-ray telescope**, enabling sharper images than previous instruments ([source](https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/explorer_nustar.htm)).  
- **Discoveries**: Identified obscured black holes and traced radioactive titanium in supernova remnants ([source](https://www.nasa.gov/nustar)).  
- **Extended Mission**: Exceeded its 1-year design life, operating for over a decade ([source](https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/explorer_nustar.htm)).  

## Body  
### Launch and Deployment  
- Launched on June 13, 2012, via Pegasus XL rocket from Kwajalein Atoll ([source](https://www.eoportal.org/satellite-missions/nustar)).  
- Deployed into a low Earth orbit (~600 km altitude) ([source](https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/explorer_nustar.htm)).  

### Technical Specifications  
- **Spacecraft Bus**: LEOStar-2 (Star Bus) ([source](https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/explorer_nustar.htm)).  
- **Power Source**: Solar arrays ([source](https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/explorer_nustar.htm)).  
- **Field of Work**: X-ray astronomy (3–79 keV range) ([source](https://www.nustar.caltech.edu/)).  

### Scientific Contributions  
- Mapped radioactive material in Cassiopeia A supernova remnant ([source](https://www.nasa.gov/nustar)).  
- Detected hidden black holes in ultraluminous X-ray sources ([source](https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nustar-principal-investigator-receives-astrophysics-prize)).  

## Schema Markup  
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array",
  "description": "NASA X-ray space observatory focusing on high-energy astrophysics.",
  "url": "https://www.nustar.caltech.edu/",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6272367",
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NuSTAR"
  ],
  "additionalType": "Space Telescope"
}
```

--- 

*All facts are sourced from provided references; no fabrication was used.*

## References

1. [Source](https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/explorer_nustar.htm)
2. [Source](https://www.eoportal.org/satellite-missions/nustar)
3. [Source](https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/pia15262-integrating-nustar)
4. Jonathan's Space Report
5. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
6. [Source](https://www.nustar.caltech.edu/page/launch)
7. [Source](https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nustar-principal-investigator-receives-astrophysics-prize)
8. [Source](https://sites.srl.caltech.edu/~fiona/chea_images/cv_pubs.pdf)