Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment

The Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE) was a pioneering effort to explore polarization and photometry in the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum. It was the first and most comprehensive effort to exploit the unique powers of polarimetry at wavelengths not visible on Earth. The instrument was designed and built at the University of Wisconsin Space Astronomy Laboratory in the 1980's.

WUPPE flew on two NASA Space Shuttle missions: ASTRO-1 and ASTRO-2. WUPPE was one of three ultraviolet telescopes (the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT) and the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT) were the others) and one x-ray telescope (the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT)) on the ASTRO-1 payload which flew aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia December 2 -11, 1990. WUPPE, HUT & UIT were reflown in March 2 -18, 1995 on board the Space Shuttle Endeavour which set the record for the longest Shuttle mission at that time (16 days).

WUPPE-1 and WUPPE-2 obtained ultraviolet spectropolarimetry (and spectra) for 121 objects (183 observations) and spectra-only for 65 objects (77 observations).

WUPPE has been retired and is now on display at SpacePlace, the Department's public outreach facility.

The UW Pine Bluff Observatory(PBO) spectropolarimeter (HPOL) provides key ground-based observations in support of WUPPE.

Principal Investigator: Dr. Arthur D. Code

WUPPE is supported by NASA contract NAS5-26777.
This page has been accessed times since October 28, 1996.

The WUPPE web site is maintained by Marilyn Meade .