Performance of the wide-field x-ray monitor on board the High-Energy Transient Explorer 2

The Wide-field X-ray Monitor is one of the scientific instruments carried on the High Energy Transient Explorer 2 (HETE-2) satellite planned to be launched in May, 2000 (on the present schedule in February, 2000). HETE-2 is an international mission of a small satellite dedicated to provide broad band observations and accurate localizations of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). The first HETE satellite was lost due to a Pegasus XL rocket mishap on November 4, 1996. The HETE-2 has been developed on basically the same concept except that the UV cameras were replaced with the Soft X-ray Camera. A unique feature of this mission is its capability of determination and transmission of GRB coordinates in near real time through a network of primary and secondary ground stations.