The International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE, formerly SAS-D) satellite was a spaceborne ultraviolet astronomical observatory for use as an international facility. The IUE contained a 45-cm telescope solely for spectroscopy in the wavelength range o 1150 to 3250 A. The satellite and optical instrumentation were provided by the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The television cameras, used as detectors, were provided by the United Kingdom Science Engineering Research Council (SERC, formerly UKSRC). The European Space Agency (ESA, formerly ESRO) supplied solar paddles for the satellite and a European Control Center. After launch, two-thirds of the observing time was directed from a control center at GSFC; one-third of the time the satellite was operated from the European Control Center near Madrid.