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The mission

XMM-Newton is studying X-ray sources across the Universe: looking deep into the centre of galaxies, studying stars at all stages of their live, investigating what happens in and around black holes, and following up on explosive events like gamma-ray bursts. XMM-Newton helps us explore how the Universe was formed and how matter behaves under the most extreme circumstances.


The launch

  • Launch: 10 December 1999

  • Launch location: Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana

  • Launch vehicle: Ariane 5

  • Orbit: 48-hour elliptical orbit around Earth, inclined at 40 degrees. Apogee altitude 115 000~92 000 km.


XMM-Newton.png
6 instruments
3800 kg mass
7 ,5 m focal length
174 gold-coated mirrors

Latest news

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[ XMM-Newton ]
XMM-Newton & Chandra revised distance to outer spiral arms (no lines)
01 JUL. 2026

XMM-Newton helps revise distance to outer spiral arms

The European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton and NASA’s Chandra X-ray space telescopes have spotted the aftermath of three bright explosions echoing through the outer spiral arms of our galaxy, the Milky Way. By measuring the distance to these echoes, they find the outer arms to be up to 10% further away than we thought.
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[ XMM-Newton ]
Artist’s impression of the flaring, windy black hole in NGC 3783
ARCHIVE CONTENT: 09 DEC. 2025

Flaring black hole whips up ultra-fast winds

Leading X-ray space telescopes XMM-Newton and XRISM have spotted an extraordinary blast from a supermassive black hole. In a matter of hours, the gravitational monster whipped up powerful winds, flinging material out into space at eye-watering speeds of 60 000 km per second.
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[ XMM-Newton ]
An explosion on another star (artist’s impression)
ARCHIVE CONTENT: 12 NOV. 2025

First confirmed sighting of explosive burst on nearby star

Astronomers using the European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton space observatory and the LOFAR telescope have definitively spotted an explosive burst of material thrown out into space by another star – a burst powerful enough to strip away the atmosphere of any unlucky planet in its path.
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[ Science ]
Ariane 5 and XMM-Newton during launch campaign
ARCHIVE CONTENT: 10 DEC. 2004

XMM-Newton's fifth anniversary in orbit

XMM-Newton was launched five years ago, on 10 December 1999. It is now detecting more X-ray sources than any previous satellite and is helping to solve many cosmic mysteries of the violent Universe, from what happens in and around black holes to the formation of galaxies in the early Universe.
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Latest images

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[ Science ]
XMM-Newton & Chandra revised distance to outer spiral arms (no lines)
01 JUL. 2026

XMM-Newton & Chandra revised distance to outer spiral arms (no lines)

Explore
[ Science ]
XMM-Newton & Chandra revise distance to the outer spiral arms (animation)
01 JUL. 2026

XMM-Newton & Chandra revise distance to the outer spiral arms (animation)

Explore
[ Science ]
Strong black hole winds reshape a galaxy
01 FEB. 2024

Strong black hole winds reshape a galaxy

Strong black hole winds reshape a galaxy
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Latest videos

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[ Science ]
03 JUL. 2013

Science@ESA: Episode 5: The untamed, violent Universe

Play
[ Science ]
23 MAY. 2005

Stories from XMM-English

XMM - video index of 9 stories about XMM's science and construction
Play
[ Science ]
31 DEC. 1988

Exploring The Universe

Overview of ESA Science missions at time of 25 years of ESA
Play
Black hole winds from a galactic core
Black hole winds from a galactic core
Marvel at stunning echo of 800-year-old explosion
Marvel at stunning echo of 800-year-old explosion
XMM-Newton captured dust rings from gamma-ray burst 221009A
XMM-Newton captured dust rings from gamma-ray burst 221009A
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Related links

[ XMM-Newton ]
XMM-Newton
10 JUN. 2013

XMM-Newton factsheet

On 10 December 1999 at 14:32 GMT the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton observatory was launched and started exploring the wonders of the X-ray Universe. Since its launch, XMM-Newton has simultaneously collected X-rays, visible and ultraviolet light and consistently demonstrated its role as one of the most important astronomical observatories of all time.
Read article
[ Operations ]
XMM-Newton spacecraft
ARCHIVE CONTENT: 04 DEC. 2006

XMM-Newton operations

Editor's note: This page is no longer being updated, but will be preserved as a record. Click here for the latest information on XMM-Newton.ESA's XMM-Newton space observatory is the flagship of European X-ray astronomy. It is the most powerful X-ray telescope ever placed in orbit and is observing the 'hot' X-ray universe including objects like neutron stars, black holes and active galaxies. Over 300 scientific papers are published annually using data provided by XMM-Newton.
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[ Science ]
Artist's impression of Cygnus X-1
19 FEB. 2024

Observations: Seeing in X-ray wavelengths

The atmosphere prevents us from seeing X-rays from space with telescopes on Earth. Yet, some cosmic objects can only be studied in X-ray light. During the past century new ways were found to lift detectors outside our atmosphere and discover the high-energy Universe.
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More about XMM-Newton

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