SPACE VLBI PROJECT

SPACE VLBI PROJECT

The first Space-VLBI project, VSOP, started successfully with the launch of the dedicated space-VLBI satellite HALCA in 1997. The project has been in scientific operation in the 1.6 GHz and 5 GHz bands, and studies have been done mainly of the jet phenomena related to active galactic nuclei. A second generation space- VLBI project, VSOP-2, has been planned by the working group formed at ISAS/JAXA with many collaborators. The spacecraft is planned to observe in the 8, 22 and 43 GHz bands with cooled receivers for the two higher bands, and with a maximum angular resolution at 43 GHz (7 mm) of about 40 micro-arcseconds. The VSOP-2 satellite will also have the capability of the phase-reference and full polarization observations, which will produce more powerful results than those of the VSOP project. Far-future space-VLBI projects following VSOP and VSOP-2, have a large potential to achieve enough resolution and sensitivity to satisfy astronomers in future.