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| | Infrared Space Observatory - ISO : |
 | | Its 60 cm diameter telescope was cooled by superfluid liquid helium to temperatures of 2-4 K. The mission was a great technical, operational and scientific success with most satellite sub-systems operating far better than specifications and with its scientific results impacting practically all fields of astronomy. |
 | | During its routine operational phase, which lasted until April 1998 - almost a year longer than specified, ISO successfully made some 30,000 individual imaging, photometric, spectroscopic and polarimetric observations ranging from objects in our own solar system right out to the most distant extragalactic sources. |
 | | In the ensuing Post Operational Phases, which ended in 2006, the ISO archive has been improved and enhanced both in functionality and in contents, in order to maximise its long-term value and usability, as a legacy to future generations of astronomers. |
| isowww.estec.esa.nl (302 words) |
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