SP-466 The Star Splitters
 
The Solid State Spectrometer, HEAO B-5. The Solid State Spectrometer had to be cryogenically cooled with solid methane and ammonia for its silicon-germanium crystal to function properly. Its advantage was that it could observe the entire spectrum at once, measuring the energy of each photon hitting the crystal, whereas the Focal Plane Crystal Spectrometer could examine only a small band of energies at any one setting of the crystal tunes. The two spectrometers complemented each other in sensitivity and energy resolution. The Principal Scientist was Elihu Boldt of Goddard Space Flight Center. Hardware was developed by Goddard under an intercenter agreement.

The Solid State Spectrometer, HEAO B-5. The Solid State Spectrometer had to be cryogenically cooled with solid methane and ammonia for its silicon-germanium crystal to function properly. Its advantage was that it could observe the entire spectrum at once, measuring the energy of each photon hitting the crystal, whereas the Focal Plane Crystal Spectrometer could examine only a small band of energies at any one setting of the crystal tunes. The two spectrometers complemented each other in sensitivity and energy resolution. Hardware was developed by Goddard under an intercenter agreement.

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