Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 April 2016
The Solar Wind Generation Experiment consists of a UV Coronal Spectrometer (UVCS) provided by the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and a White Light Coronagraph (WLC) of the High Altitude Observatory. The instruments are similar to those flown together on three sounding rocket flights [1,2,3] but they have enhanced capabilities to take advantage of Spartan’s 27 hour observing period. The two instruments comprise a payload for Spartan 2, which is a self-contained instrument carrier that provides on-board data storage, power, thermal control, sun pointing and an observing program sequencer. Spartan is launched and deployed by the Shuttle and spends about 27 orbits in a detached mode before it is recovered and returned to the ground for data tape retrieval and post-flight instrument calibration.