The EUVE Extreme Ultra-Violet Explorer mission mapped space in the 70- to 760-angstrom portion of the spectrum and conducted detailed ultraviolet examinations of selected celestial targets.

The objectives of the EUVE Extreme Ultra-Violet Explorer mission were: (1) produce a high-sensitivity "all-sky" survey in the 70- to 760-angstrom portion of the spectrum; (2) perform a "deep survey" of a strip of the sky along the ecliptic with extremely high sensitivity; (3) perform follow-up spectroscopic observations on bright extreme ultraviolet point sources; (4) study stellar evolution and the local stellar population; (5) investigate energy transport in stellar atmospheres; and (6) study ionization and opacity of the interstellar medium. The initial "all-sky" survey was completed in January 1993, and a Guest Observer program was initiated in February 1993. EUVE was controlled from the Centre for EUV Astrophysics at the University of California, Berkeley. The spacecraft was based on the NASA/Fairchild Multi-Mission Spacecraft (MMS) bus and was 3-axis stabilized. Downlink was through TDRSS at 512 kbit/sec. EUVE was designed for on-orbit servicing by the Shuttle. The payload included three grazing incidence UV telescopes covering 80-900 angstroms (188 kg each) and one EUV spectrometer (323 kg). The scanning telescopes compiled all-sky maps over 80-900 angstroms with positional accuracy of 0.1 deg. The spectrometer observed in the anti-Sun direction along the ecliptic, to complete a survey in two bands between 80-500 angstroms.

Design Life: 19 months. Typical orbit: 528 km, incl. = 28.5 deg. Length: 4.50 m (14.70 ft). Maximum Diameter: 3.00 m (9.80 ft). Mass: 3,275 kg (7,220 lb).

• 1992 June 7 - EUVE - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: LC17A. Launch Vehicle: Delta. Mass: 3,275 kg (7,220 lb). Perigee: 510 km (310 mi). Apogee: 524 km (325 mi). Inclination: 28.40 deg. Period: 95.00 min.
  Extreme Ultra-Violet Explorer; mapped galactic EUV sources. The Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer was switched off on February 2, 2001. NASA decided to terminate funding for the mission, even though the spacecraft was still operating well. The sky survey was completed in January 1993 and after that the EUVE was used by guest astronomers for observations of specific targets. The final observations were made on January 26, 2001. After end-of-life tests of the never-used backup high voltage supplies and checking the remaining battery capacity, EUVE was stabilized pointing away from the Sun and sent into safehold at 2359 GMT on January 31. The transmitters were commanded off on February 2.

• 1993 January 1 - EUVE completes initial "all-sky" survey -
  A Guest Observer program was initiated in February, 1993.