ESA title

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
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