On-orbit status of the high temperature superconductivity space experiment

The High Temperature Superconductivity (HTS) Space Experiment (HTSSE-II) successfully achieved orbit U February 1999 with the launch of the Advanced Research and Global Observation Satellite (ARGOS). It contains eight HTS components and subsystems. Developed by various industrial and government laboratories in the 1992 to 1994 time frame, they were integrated with a closed cycle refrigerator into the HTSSE-II payload during 1995. The monitoring of the on-orbit performance of the HTS devices began in May 1999. After a brief description of the HTSSE program, the performance characterization of the HTSSE-II devices will be presented.