 Artist's impression of the XMM-Newton spacecraft | |||||||||
| Names | High Throughput X-ray Spectroscopy Mission X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mission type | X-ray astronomy | ||||||||
| Operator | European Space Agency | ||||||||
| COSPAR ID | 1999-066A | ||||||||
| SATCAT no. | 25989 | ||||||||
| Website | http://sci.esa.int/xmm-newton/ http://xmm.esac.esa.int/ | ||||||||
| Mission duration | Planned: 10 years[1] Elapsed: 24 years, 10 months, 30 days | ||||||||
| Spacecraft properties | |||||||||
| Manufacturer | Dornier Satellitensysteme, Carl Zeiss, Media Lario, Matra Marconi Space, BPD Difesa e Spazio, Fokker Space[2] | ||||||||
| Launch mass | 3,764 kg (8,298 lb)[2] | ||||||||
| Dry mass | 3,234 kg (7,130 lb) | ||||||||
| Dimensions | Length: 10.8 m (35 ft)[2] Span: 16.16 m (53 ft)[2] | ||||||||
| Power | 1,600 watts[2] | ||||||||
| Start of mission | |||||||||
| Launch date | 10 December 1999, 14:32 UTC[3] | ||||||||
| Rocket | Ariane 5G No. 504[4] | ||||||||
| Launch site | Guiana Space Centre ELA-3[2][4] | ||||||||
| Contractor | Arianespace | ||||||||
| Entered service | 1 July 2000[2] | ||||||||
| End of mission | |||||||||
| Deactivated | presumed end of 2026 or later[5] | ||||||||
| Orbital parameters | |||||||||
| Reference system | Geocentric | ||||||||
| Semi-major axis | 65,648.3 km (40,792.0 mi) | ||||||||
| Eccentricity | 0.816585 | ||||||||
| Perigee altitude | 5,662.7 km (3,518.6 mi) | ||||||||
| Apogee altitude | 112,877.6 km (70,138.9 mi) | ||||||||
| Inclination | 67.1338 degrees | ||||||||
| Period | 2789.9 minutes | ||||||||
| Epoch | 4 February 2016, 01:06:30 UTC[6] | ||||||||
| Main telescope | |||||||||
| Type | 3 × Wolter type-1[2] | ||||||||
| Diameter | Outer mirror: 70 cm (28 in)[2] Inner mirror: 30.6 cm (12 in)[2] | ||||||||
| Focal length | 7.5 m (25 ft)[2] | ||||||||
| Collecting area | 0.4425 m2 (5 sq ft) at 1.5 keV[2] 0.1740 m2 (2 sq ft) at 8 keV[2] | ||||||||
| Wavelengths | 0.1–12 keV (12–0.1 nm)[2] | ||||||||
| Resolution | 5 to 14 arcseconds[2] | ||||||||
| |||||||||
 ESA astrophysics insignia for XMM-Newton | |||||||||
XMM-Newton, also known as the High Throughput X-ray Spectroscopy Mission and the X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission, is an X-ray space observatory launched by the European Space Agency in December 1999 on an Ariane 5 rocket. It is the second cornerstone mission of ESA's Horizon 2000 programme. Named after physicist and astronomer Sir Isaac Newton, the spacecraft is tasked with investigating interstellar X-ray sources, performing narrow- and broad-range spectroscopy, and performing the first simultaneous imaging of objects in both X-ray and optical (visible and ultraviolet) wavelengths.[7]
Initially funded for two years, with a ten-year design life, the spacecraft remains in good health and has received repeated mission extensions, most recently in March 2023 and is scheduled to operate until the end of 2026.[5] ESA plans to succeed XMM-Newton with the Advanced Telescope for High Energy Astrophysics (ATHENA), the second large mission in the Cosmic Vision 2015–2025 plan, to be launched in 2035.[8] XMM-Newton is similar to NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, also launched in 1999.
As of May 2018, close to 5,600 papers have been published about either XMM-Newton or the scientific results it has returned.[9]
- ^ "XMM-Newton factsheet". European Space Agency. 20 August 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Wilson, Andrew (June 2005). "XMM-Newton" (PDF). ESA Achievements (3rd ed.). European Space Agency. pp. 206–209. ISBN 92-9092-493-4. ESA Publication BR-250.
- ^ "A Faultless Launch". European Space Agency. 10 December 1999. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
- ^ a b "Ariane-5". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
- ^ a b "Extended life for ESA's science missions". ESA. 7 March 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
- ^ "XMM – Orbit". Heavens Above. 3 February 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
- ^ "XMM-Newton: Objectives". European Space Agency. 8 July 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
- ^ "Athena Mission Summary". European Space Agency. 2 May 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
- ^ Kretschmar, Peter (2018). XMM-Newton Overall Mission Status (PDF). XMM-Newton Users' Group Meeting #19. 17–18 May 2018. Villafranca del Castillo, Spain.