RECENT STUDIES - XEUS
The X-ray Evolving Universe Spectroscopy (XEUS) mission study was conducted from 26 May 2004 through to the Internal Final Presentation on 18 June 2004, at the request of the Science Payloads and Advanced Concepts Office. The purpose of the XEUS mission is to study black holes, galaxy groups, clusters and the interstellar medium.
The XEUS mission is the potential follow-on to ESA's XMM-Newton mission and will launch after 2014.
A free-flying X-ray telecope, 200 times more sensitive than XMM-Newton, XEUS will consist of two spacecraft - one carrying the mirror, the other carrying the detectors - formation flying at variable separation distance (25, 50, 75 or 100 m). It will use an advanced/lightweight X-ray mirror concept design involving mirror spacecraft flying in formation with a detector spacecraft at a halo orbit around Lagrange Point (L2). The mirror spacecraft is designed to last 15 years, with a possible 5-year extension.
