A dual-stage cryostat built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company Advanced Technology Center, Palo Alto CA, is onboard NASA’s Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, which launched on December 14, 2009. The cryostat was designed to keep the mission’s infrared telescope and detectors chilled to nearly absolute zero. Made up of two annular tanks filled with solid hydrogen, the supply is expected to last about 10 months, long enough for the WISE mission to scan the entire sky and uncover hidden objects like never-before-seen stars and luminous galaxies. About 7500 images will be taken every day, with snapshots being taken every 11 seconds.
