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Home | Update | Latest Issue | Gallery | FR Profile | Datafiles | FR 8/97 EUROPE BUILDS LARGEST X-RAY TELESC OPE by Wolfdietrich Hoeveler Hidden in the forests south of Liege, at the space center of the University of Liege, the European Space Agency ESA is testing the second of three mirror modules of the XMM (X-ray Multi-Mirror), the world's largest x-ray telescope. The new telescope is designed to gain data, for example about the origin of stars, in the shortest possible time. According to the ESA program managers, this data may occupy scientists for a good 20 years. 2000 jobs are reportedly tied by the XMM program in Europe which, after the Cluster satellites, is ESA's second so called cornerstone program. Dornier Satellitensysteme of Daimler-Benz Aerospace is the main contractor for XMM. The telescope unit is comprised of three mirror modules, a service element, the telescope tube and a bundling unit, along with a set of solar generators. The mirror modules measure 70 cm in diameter and 60 cm in height. They consist of 58 concentric arranged gold-plated mirrors. Absolutely unique high-technology was used in making the mirrors. Carl Zeiss supplied the molds, Medio Lario (Italy), a subsidiary of Kayser-Threde, Munich, is contributing the gold-plating of the mirrors. The strength of the mirrors varies between 1 mm (outer mirrors) and 0,5 mm (inner). The high resolution of 7 arcsec demands an extremely precise making and assembly of the mirrors. Incoming x-rays are focused through the mirror. The telescope can be fixated with high precision on one object for up to 40 hours. This, along with the 300 square meter mirror surface, are the reasons for the high efficiency of the telescope. The 3900 kg XMM will be launched with an Ariane 5 (flight 506) in August 1999. For at least two years, it is supposed to deliver unique data to the European astronomists. This is the time span during which ESA can fund the program. A total of 660 million ECU are earmarked for the development, the production, the launch and the operational phase of the project. So far, it was possible to keep the program on a much lower cost level of 598 million ECU which was possible through tight personnel planning, ten percent reduce launch costs, as well as, an open tendering. Nevertheless, XMM is designed for an operational time of ten years. With this in mind, ESA scientific director Roger-Maurice Bonnet used the opportunity in Liege to warn the ESA ministers about cutting the European science programs. Such cuts would endanger the big progress that Europe has made in the recent years in relation to the USA. Europe should not give up since the USA and Japan are pushing more and more aggressively. From page 42 of FLUG REVUE 8/97 Home | Update | Latest Issue | Gallery | FR Profile | Datafiles | FR 8/97 Copyright 1997 by Motor-Presse Stuttgart. All rights reserved. Last updated July 4, 1997 FLUG REVUE, Ubierstr. 83, 53173 Bonn, Germany