NASA Insignia
Menu
Imagine the Universe!

Solar Maximum Mission

An artist's conception of the SMM spacecraft

An artist's conception of the SMM spacecraft. (Credit: NASA)

Lifetime: February 1980 - December 1989

Country (primary): United States

Primary Science

The Solar Maximum Mission, or SMM for short, was launched to study the sun during the high part of the solar cycle.

High Energy Science

Two of the instruments on SMM were able to detect cosmic gamma-ray bursts in addition to solar observations.

Science Highlights

  • Detected more than 75 gamma-ray bursts

Links to more information