Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer Cryogenic Support System Status and Thermal Test Results

The Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) is a MIDEX mission that is being developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to address several of NASA's Astronomical Search of Origins (ASO) objectives. Space Dynamics Laboratory/ Utah State University is providing the cryogenically cooled infrared instrument. Cooling for the instrument optics and focal planes is provided by a dual-stage solid hydrogen cryostat. Driving requirements for the cryogenic subsystem are: a seven-month lifetime and operating temperatures of less than 17 K for the optics, 32 K for the HgCdTe focal planes, and 7.8 K for the Si:As focal planes. This paper provides an overview of the dual-stage hydrogen cryogenic subsystem status and discusses the results of the thermal performance testing.