News archive

News archive

The thermal vacuum test on the lower half of the XMM spacecraft started early in the morning of Tuesday 5 January and continues throughout the next ten days.
Published: 5 January 1999
After a four-hour road journey from Lihge in Belgium, the three flight model mirror modules, the most powerful X-ray optics in the world, have arrived today at ESTEC, ESA's technical centre in Noordwijk, The Netherlands. It was the last road journey for the 'eyes' of ESA's X-ray space observatory. Early next year, the three mirror modules will be assembled on the spacecraft, ready for launch in January 2000.
Published: 14 December 1998
Whilst the satellite project team has been organising the arrival ofthe three flight model mirror modules - due to arrive at ESTEC in The Netherlands on 15 December from the CSL testing facility in Belgium - the XMM science teams continue toprepare for the use of the European X-ray space observatory once it isin orbit.
Published: 7 December 1998
The last flight-model pn-imaging camera arrived in Dornier yesterday, 30 November. "Scientifically, this is an excellent X-ray camera, we just have to fixa small problem with the pressure gauge and then it is ready for launch",said XMM project manager, Robert Laine.
Published: 30 November 1998
After of two and a half years' work, the Centre Spatial de Lihge (CSL)in Belgium is coming to the end of the calibration tests it hasbeen carrying out on the Mirror Modules of XMM, the European SpaceAgency's X-ray space telescope. In mid-December, after somethermal hardware integration activities, the three flight modules willbe leaving for ESTEC for integration there early next year onto thesatellite platform.
Published: 11 November 1998
Pictures taken this morning show XMM's lower module being prepared by Dornier staff for a week of tests on the shaker in ESTEC's test facilities.
Published: 9 November 1998
The second imaging camera (EPIC MOS 2) has been delivered to Dornier for integration in the focal plane.
Published: 14 October 1998
The XMM lower module assembly, which consists of the Service Module and associated telescope tube, has arrived at ESTEC for the final sequence of environmental tests.
Published: 14 October 1998
The managers of XMM, the European Space Agency's X-ray spaceobservatory due to be launched in January 2000, are thanking their luckystars! The robustness of an alkaline household battery has saved themfrom a serious setback.
Published: 9 October 1998
The First XMM Workshop 'Science with XMM', held at ESTEC from 30September to 2 October,was very well received and attracted over 200 non-ESA participants fromall over the world.Presentations covered a wide range of topics where XMM will greatlyextend the limitsof current scientific knowledge.
Published: 6 October 1998
The First XMM Workshop 'Science with XMM' was held at ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands, 30 Sept. to 2 October.The Final Programme is available on the Conference web page.
Published: 29 September 1998
Following a detailed status review of the XMM scientific instruments by our Director of the Scientific Programme, the launch date of 21 January 2000, 13:13 UTC has been selected.
Published: 24 September 1998
When a team believes in its project, then any game is good to get it known ! And when the programme concerned is XMM, Europe's largest-ever science satellite, then even the inter-active fun of virtual reality can be put to good use !
Published: 20 August 1998
The XMM Science Operations Centre of ESA will be holding the First XMM Workshop at ESTEC, Noordwijk, 30 September - 2 October.The Second Announcement and Call for Papers is now available.
Published: 20 July 1998
Looking like a black pillar more than 10 metres tall, Europe's largest scientific spacecraft now stands in a test bay at ESTEC, ESA's space and technology centre at Noordwijk in the Netherlands where journalists and cameramen have a unique opportunity to view the XMM satellite at close quarters.
Published: 10 February 1998
An assembly of 58 mirrors, carefully sized, formed and nested one inside another, makes the most sensitive X-ray telescope ever built. ESA's new satellite called XMM, for X-ray Multi-Mirror, will carry three identical telescopes of this kind when it goes into orbit in 1999. With its gold- coated reflecting surfaces totalling 300 square metres, XMM will revolutionize X-ray astronomy. Observations of X-rays from cosmic sources that previously took hours to accomplish will be done by XMM in a matter of seconds.
Published: 13 May 1997
29-Mar-2024 14:33 UT

ShortUrl Portlet

Shortcut URL

https://sci.esa.int/p/BWX52M8