16 Nov 2009 - Due to the delay on the East Coast of the Delta IV carrying WGS-3, WISE is slipped to Dec 9.
12 Nov 2009 - WISE is full of supercooled solid hydrogen. Liquid helium will be circulated through cooling coils from now until shortly before launch to keep the hydrogen frozen solid.
29 Oct 2009 - WISE started filling the hydrogen tanks in the cryostat
today. WISE also passed its Flight Readiness Review today.
The launch vehicle for WISE is being stacked at VAFB.
WISE is now on the launch manifest for 7 Dec 2009.
WISE has arrived at VAFB.
NASA HQ has directed WISE to plan for a launch no earlier than (NET) 1 Dec 2009. This delay is due to launch vehicle availability. Shipping to VAFB will still occur in August.
The WISE pre-ship review occured on Tuesday 4 August. Shipping to VAFB was approved.
The WISE spacecraft and cryostat/telescope/imager passed electromagnetic interference and electromagnetic compatibility testing.
The WISE spacecraft and cryostat/telescope/imager passed acoustic testing.
The WISE spacecraft and Thermal Mass Dynamics Simulator (TMDS) passed vibration testing.
The WISE cryostat completed hydrogen filled lifetime testing.
The WISE cryostat with telescope and detectors passed cold vibration testing.
WISE has passed its System Integration Review and has entered Phase D.
WISE has passed its Mission Critical Design Review, held 18-21 June 2007 at UCLA.
WISE has been confirmed by NASA headquarters. The launch is scheduled for November 2009.
WISE has been selected by NASA as its next Medium-Class Explorer. With this decision the WISE mission will proceed into Phase B (Definition Phase). This phase will conclude with a preliminary design review in April 2005. Read the press release and visit our new public Web page.
WISE releases a simulated distribution of Brown Dwarfs in the Solar Neighborhood. These data and the viewer are available from our E/PO partner Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History.
WISE has been selected for an extended Phase A study leading to a decision in 2004 on whether to proceed with the development of the mission. Read the NASA press release on the MidEx selection.
WISE changes its name from NGSS (Next Generation Sky Survey) to the Wide-field Survey Explorer.
NGSS is one of four MIDEX proposals selected for a Phase A study!
The NGSS proposal is resubmitted, a full day before the deadline.
The winners were announced today, and NGSS is not selected.
NGSS is one of five missions selected for a Phase A study, with an expected selection in late 1999 of two of these five missions for construction and launch, one in 2003 and another in 2004.