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Selected by NASA for an Astrophysics Science SmallSat study, The Virtual Telescope for X-Ray Observations (VTXO) is a small satellite mission being developed by NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and New Mexico State University (NMSU). VTXO will perform X-ray observations with an angular resolution around 50 milliarcseconds, an order of magnitude better than is achievable by current state of the art X-ray telescopes. VTXOs fine angular resolution enables measuring the environments closer to the central engines in compact X-ray sources. This resolution will be achieved by the use of Phased Fresnel Lenses (PFLs) optics which provide near diffraction-limited imaging in the X-ray band. However, PFLs require long focal lengths in order to realize their imaging performance, for VTXO this dictates that the telescopes optics and the camera will have a separation of 1 km. As it is not realistic to build a structure this large in space, the solution being adapted for VTXO is to place the camera, and the optics on two separate spacecraft and fly them in formation with the necessary spacing. This requires centimeter level control, and sub-millimeter level knowledge of the two spacecrafts relative transverse position. This paper will present VTXOs current baseline, with particular emphasis on the missions flight dynamics design.
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The Virtual Telescope for X-Ray Observations (VTXO) is a conceptual mission under development to demonstrate a new instrument for astronomical observations in the X-ray band using a set of 6U CubeSats. VTXO will use a Phase Fresnel Lens, which has the potential to improve the imaging resolution several orders of magnitude over the current state-of-the-art X-ray telescopes. This technique requires long focal lengths (>100 m), which necessitates the lens and camera be on separate spacecraft, flying in precision formation. This work presents the results from a model developed to determine the {Delta}V requirements to maintain formation, for both solar and galactic X-ray observations, from a Geostationary Transfer Orbit.
The Virtual Telescope for X-ray Observations (VTXO) will use lightweight Phase Fresnel Lenses (PFLs) in a virtual X-ray telescope with $sim$1 km focal length and with $sim$50 milli-arcsecond angular resolution. VTXO is formed by using precision formation flying of two SmallSats: a smaller OpticsSat that houses the PFLs and navigation beacons while a larger DetectorSat contains an X-ray camera, a precision start tracker, and the propulsion for the formation flying. The baseline flight dynamics uses a highly elliptical supersynchronous orbit allow the formation to hold in an inertial frame around the 90,000 km apogee for 10 hours of the 32.5 hour orbit with nearly a year mission lifetime. VTXOs fine angular resolution enables measuring the environments close to the central engines of bright compact X-ray sources. This X-ray imaging capability allows for the study of the effects of dust scattering near to the central objects such as Cyg X-3 and GX 5-1, for the search for jet structure near to the compact object in X-ray novae such as Cyg X-1 and GRS 1915+105, and for the search for structure in the termination shock of in the Crab pulsar wind nebula. The VTXO SmallSat and instrument designs, mission parameters, and science performance are described. VTXO development was supported as one of the selected 2018 NASA Astrophysics SmallSat Study (AS$^3$) missions.
The Virtual Telescope for X-ray Observations (VTXO) will use lightweight Phase Frensel Lenses (PFLs) in a virtual X-ray telescope with 1 km focal length and with nearly 50 milli-arcsecond angular resolution. Laboratory characterization of PFLs have demonstrated near diffraction-limited angular resolution in the X-ray band, but they require long focal lengths to achieve this quality of imaging. VTXO is formed by using precision formation flying of two SmallSats: a smaller, 6U OpticsSat that houses the PFLs and navigation beacons while a larger, ESPA-class DetectorSat contains an X-ray camera, a charged-particle radiation monitor, a precision star tracker, and the propulsion for the formation flying. The baseline flight dynamics uses a highly-elliptical supersynchronous geostationary transfer orbit to allow the inertial formation to form and hold around the 90,000 km apogee for 10 hours of the 32.5-hour orbit with nearly a year mission lifetime. The guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) for the formation flying uses standard CubeSat avionics packages, a precision star tracker, imaging beacons on the OpticsSat, and a radio ranging system that also serves as an inter-satellite communication link. VTXOs fine angular resolution enables measuring the environments nearly an order of magnitude closer to the central engines of bright compact X-ray sources compared to the current state of the art. This X-ray imaging capability allows for the study of the effects of dust scattering nearer to the central objects such as Cyg X-3 and GX 5-1, for the search for jet structure nearer to the compact object in X-ray novae such as Cyg X-1 and GRS 1915+105, and for the search for structure in the termination shock of in the Crab pulsar wind nebula. The VTXO development was supported as one of the selected 2018 NASA Astrophysics SmallSat Study (AS3) missions.
The Virtual Telescope for X-Ray Observations (VTXO) is an Astrophysics SmallSat mission being developed to demonstrate 10-milliarcsecond X-ray imaging using a Phase Fresnel Lense (PFL) based space telescope. PFLs promise to provide several orders of magnitude improvement in angular resolution over current state of the art X-ray optics. However, PFLs for astronomical applications require a long focal length, for VTXO the focal length is estimated to be in the range of 0.5 km to 4 km. Since these focal lengths are not feasible on a single spacecraft, the proposed solution is to use two separate spacecraft, one with the lense(s), and the second with an X-ray camera. These two spacecrafts will then fly in a formation approximating a single rigid telescope. In order to achieve this configuration, the two spacecraft must maintain the formation a focal length distance apart, with centimeter level control, and sub-millimeter level knowledge requirements. Additionally, the system must keep the telescope axis pointed at a fixed target on the celestial sphere for extended durations. VTXOs system architecture calls for two CubeSats to operate in a highly eccentric Earth orbit with one of the spacecrafts traveling on a natural keplarian orbit. The second spacecraft will then fly on a pseudo orbit maintaining a fixed offset during observations. Observations with this system will occur near apogee where differential forces on the spacecrafts are minimal which in turn minimizes fuel consumption. This paper overviews VTXOs system architecture, and looks in depth at the formation flying techniques, including fuel consumption, and methods maintaining the formation. Beyond its use in X-ray astronomy, these formations flying techniques should eventually contribute to the development of distributed aperture telescopes, with imaging performance orders of magnitude better than the current state of the art.
We present the Microchannel X-ray Telescope, a new light and compact focussing telescope that will be flying on the Sino-French SVOM mission dedicated to Gamma-Ray Burst science. The MXT design is based on the coupling of square pore micro-channel plates with a low noise pnCCD. MXT will provide an effective area of about 50 cmsq, and its point spread function is expected to be better than 3.7 arc min (FWHM) on axis. The estimated sensitivity is adequate to detect all the afterglows of the SVOM GRBs, and to localize them to better then 60 arc sec after five minutes of observation.
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