What a Long, High-Energy Trip It’s Been!
January 12, 2012
After 16 years of discovery, the mission of the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) has reached the end of science operations. The spacecraft began the decommissioning process during the week beginning Monday, January 2, 2012, and science observations concluded at the end of the day on January 3, 2012. Fittingly, the final observation was of Scorpius X-1, the first X-ray source ever discovered outside the Solar System and still the most energetic known. The RXTE mission was launched on December 30, 1995 and SESDA II scientists, programmers, and mission planners have been a proud part of the support team throughout the mission’s highly productive scientific lifetime.
