International X-ray Observatory
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| Mission type | Space observatory |
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA / ESA / JAXA |
| Website | http://ixo.gsfc.nasa.gov/ |
| Mission duration | 5 years |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Launch mass | 4,375 kilograms (9,645 lb) |
| Power | 3.7 kilowatts (3,700 W) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 2021 |
| Rocket | Atlas V or Ariane V |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | L2 point |
| Regime | 800km |
| Main | |
| Type | X-ray |
| Focal length | 20m |
| Instruments | |
| Hard X-ray Imager, High Timing Resolution Spectrometer, X-ray Grating Spectrometer, X-ray Microcalomiter Spectrometer, X-ray Polarimeter | |
The International X-ray Observatory (IXO) is a cancelled X-ray telescope that was to be launched in 2021 as a joint effort by NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). In May 2008, ESA and NASA established a coordination group involving all three agencies, with the intent of exploring a joint mission merging the ongoing XEUS and Constellation-X projects. This proposed the start of a joint study for IXO. NASA was forced to cancel the observatory due to budget constrains in fiscal year 2012. ESA however decided to reboot the mission on its own developing Advanced Telescope for High Energy Astrophysics as a part of Cosmic Vision program.
X-ray observations are crucial for understanding the structure and evolution of the stars, galaxies, and the Universe as a whole. X-ray images reveal hot spots in the Universe—regions where particles have been energized or raised to very high temperatures by strong magnetic fields, violent explosions, and intense gravitational forces. X-ray sources in the sky are also associated with the different phases of stellar evolution such as the supernova remnants, neutron stars, and black holes.
IXO will explore X-ray Universe and address the following fundamental and timely questions in astrophysics:
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