A day as today, 45 years ago, the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) was launched into orbit from the Kennedy Space Center. IUE was a small (45 cm primary) space telescope which operated 19 years carrying a rich and diverse scientific program that changed our understanding of fundamental astronomical processes. The IUE observatory, its data products and its science support services created our UV community. Let’s celebrate old good IUE!
https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1978-012A