Apollo Telescope Mount experiments technology

Abstract

The Skylab Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) experiments, consisting of a white light coronagraph, four ultraviolet instruments, two X-ray telescopes and two hydrogen-alpha telescopes, observed the sun daily for nine solar rotations. The ATM instruments were individually larger, more complex, and provided better spatial resolution than previous solar satellite instruments. An additional major advantage of the telescope complex was its ability to simultaneously collect multispectral data of specific solar phenomena. To maximize the scientific benefits of the orbiting observatory, a coordinated observing program involving worldwide ground-based observatories was conducted. A description of the Skylab, the ATM, and the ATM experiments is given, and the daily process of flight planning and execution is described.