Abstract
The COBE satellite, under study by NASA since 1976, is planned to make definitive measurements of the diffuse infrared and microwave radiation of the universe over the whole wavelength range from a few microns to 1.3 cm. It will include three instruments: a set of microwave isotropy radiometers at 23, 31, 53, and 90 GHz; an interferometer spectrometer from 1 to 100 cm-1; and a filter photometer from 1 to 300 microns. They will use the ideal space environment and a 1 year observing time to achieve orders of magnitude improvements in sensitivity and accuracy, providing a fundamental data base for cosmology. Launch is estimated for 1985. The scientific context and technical methods will both be discussed.
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