X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission

X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (X線分光撮像衛星)
Diagram of the XRISM observatory
NamesXRISM
ASTRO-H Successor
ASTRO-H2
XARM
Mission typeX-ray astronomy
OperatorJAXA
COSPAR ID2023-137A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.57800
Websitexrism.isas.jaxa.jp/en
www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/xrism-x-ray-imaging-and-spectroscopy-mission
Mission durationPlanned:
3 years
Elapsed:
1 year, 2 months, 21 days
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeASTRO
BusASTRO-H
Launch mass2,300 kg (5,100 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date6 September 2023, 23:42:11 UTC[1]
RocketH-IIA 202
Launch siteTanegashima, LA-Y1
ContractorMitsubishi Heavy Industries
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit
RegimeLow Earth orbit
Perigee altitude550 km
Apogee altitude550 km
Inclination31.0°
Period96.0 minutes
Main telescope
NameSoft X-ray Telescope
Diameter45 cm (18 in) [2]
Focal length5.6 m (18 ft)
← Hitomi (ASTRO-H)
XRISM

The X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM, pronounced "crism"), formerly the X-ray Astronomy Recovery Mission (XARM), is an X-ray space telescope mission of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in partnership with NASA to provide breakthroughs in the study of structure formation of the universe, outflows from galaxy nuclei, and dark matter.[3][4] As the only international X-ray observatory project of its period, XRISM will function as a next generation space telescope in the X-ray astronomy field, similar to how the James Webb Space Telescope, Fermi Space Telescope, and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) Observatory are placed in their respective fields.[2][5]

The mission is a stopgap for avoiding a potential period of observation loss between the current X-ray telescopes (Chandra and XMM-Newton), and those of the future (Advanced Telescope for High Energy Astrophysics (ATHENA)). Without XRISM, there could be a time period during with no X-ray data was collected. This would arise in the early 2020s as these two reach the end of their missions, due to the loss, in 2016, of the Hitomi X-ray telescope, which was launched to be the follow-on to the Chandra and Newton telescopes.[2][5]

During its early design phase, XRISM was also known as the "ASTRO-H Successor" or "ASTRO-H2". After the loss of Hitomi, the name XARM was used, the R in the acronym refers to recovering the ability to do X-ray spectroscopy and its benefits. The name changed to XRISM in 2018 when JAXA formally initiated the project team.[6]

  1. ^ Davenport, Justin (6 September 2023). "Japanese H-IIA launches X-ray telescope and lunar lander". NASASpaceFlight. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Tsuneta, Saku (14 July 2016). "X線天文衛星ASTRO‐H「ひとみ」の後継機の検討について" (PDF) (Press release) (in Japanese). JAXA. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  3. ^ Hertz, Paul (22 June 2017). "Astrophysics" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 1 July 2017. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. ^ Fujimoto, Ryuichi; Tashiro, Makoto (5 January 2017). "ASTRO-Hに対する高エネルギーコミュニティの総括と今後の方向性について" (PDF) (in Japanese). JAXA. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  5. ^ a b "X線天文衛星代替機の検討状況について" (PDF) (in Japanese). Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. 29 September 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  6. ^ "X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission: What's New". NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Retrieved 22 January 2024.