+ NASA
+ NASA GSFC
+ ESA
+ JAXA

Observatory Overview

Artists conception of the IXO spacecraft.

+ Larger image of the IXO Front View

+ Larger image of the IXO Back View

IXO builds on three decades of successful X-ray telescope development, including the currently operating Chandra X-ray Observatory (NASA) and XMM-Newton mission (ESA). The spacecraft configuration for IXO features a single large X-ray mirror assembly and an extendible optical bench, with a focal length of ~20 m, and a suite of focal plane instruments. Areas of technology development include X-ray optics, detector and cooling systems.

Please use the following links, or those in the side menu, for more information on the IXO mission and complement of instruments:

• IXO Spacecraft
• Flight Mirror Assembly
• X-ray Microcalorimeter Spectrometer
• Wide Field Imager
• Hard X-ray Imager
• X-ray Grating Spectrometer
• High Timing Resolution Spectrometer
• X-ray Polarimeter