HEXE (1979 - 1983)
HEXE during ground tests 1980 in Texas.
Copyright: H. Steinle, MPE
The High Energy X-Ray Experiment (HEXE) was built and operated in close collaboration with the Institut für Astronomie und Astrophysik der Universität Tübingen (IAAT, formerly AIT). It was used during three successful balloon campaigns (May 1980 and September 1981 launched from Texas (USA), as well as November 1982 lauched from Uberaba (Brazil)) to observe X-ray sources. HEXE was the successor of a detector also built and operated by MPE and AIT, with which the famous cyclotron line in Her X-1 has been discovered.
A space-proof version of a section of the HEXE was operated since 1987 on board the Russian space station Mir until the de-orbiting of Mir on March 23, 2001.