The Fermi Gamma-Ray Telescope built for NASA completed its on-orbit checkout, General Dynamics Corp. [GD] announced.

The company completed the Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) of the telescope.

Fermi, previously known as the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope or GLAST, is a next-generation high-energy gamma-ray satellite designed to make observations of celestial gamma-ray sources. NASA recently renamed the satellite in honor of Prof. Enrico Fermi (1901 – 1954), a pioneer in high-energy physics.

The LEOP is a functional checkout of the observatory which demonstrates that all the instruments and subsystems perform to meet Fermi’s mission. Goddard Space Flight Center is now managing daily operations of the observatory. Fermi was launched June 11.