Active High-Energy Astrophysics Missions

These are the operating high energy astrophysics missions
  • AGILE- The Astro-rivelatore Gamma a Immagini Leggero (AGILE) First and unique combination of a gamma-ray instrument and a hard X-ray imager. (2007 - present)
  • AstroSat - The Astronomy Satellite , AstroSat, is the India's first multiwavelength astronomy satellite, with significant X-ray capabilities: 0.3-80 keV (imaging), 10-150 keV (coded mask) and 2-10 keV (all-sky monitor). (2015 - present)
  • CALET - The CALorimetric Electron Telescope, CALET, is an experiment on the International Space Station that investigates possible nearby sources of high-energy electrons, galactic particle acceleration and propagation, and studies Gamma-ray Bursts. (2015-present)
  • Chandra - Satellite is in 64-hour highly eccentric Earth orbit and has an unprecedented sub-arcsecond X-ray imaging capability as well as both medium-resolution CCDs and high-resolution gratings. (1999 - present)
  • Fermi - Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope is a Gamma-ray observatory studies the cosmos in the 30 MeV to 10 GeV range with unprecedented sensitivity and spatial resolution. (2008 - present)
  • HXMT - The Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT), named "Insight", is the China's first X-ray astronomy satellite aimed to scan the Galactic plane to find new transients, monitor variable sources and study the Gamma Ray Bursts. Energy 1-250 keV. (Launched on June 15, 2017, began science operations on January 30, 2018-present)
  • INTEGRAL - The International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory covers a wide range of X-ray and gamma-ray energies from 3 keV to 10 MeV with high spectral and spatial resolution. (2002 - present)
  • IXPE - The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) is a polarimeter mission working in the energy band between 2-8 keV with proportional counter resolution and sub-arcminute spatial resolution. (2021 - present)

  • MAXI - The MAXI Monitor All-sky X-ray Image is an experiment on board the International Space Station to survey and monitor the all sky in the energy range between 0.5-30 keV using two instruments the Gas Slit Cameras (GSC) and the Solid-state Slit Cameras (SSC). (2009 - present)
  • NICER - The Neutron star Interior Composition ExploreR is an observatory on the ISS that has large-effective-area concentrator optics in the soft X-ray band, with sub-microsecond timing capability. (2017 - present)
  • NuSTAR - The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array is the first focusing medium- to high-energy (5 - 80 keV) X-ray mission with sub-arcminute angular resolution and <= 1.2 keV spectral resolution. (2012 - present)
  • SRG - Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma (SRG) primary science is to carry out the first sensitive all sky-survey in the energy range 0.3-40 keV. The sky survey is mapped using two instruments: eROSITA covering the lower part on the band in the 0.3-10 keV range and the ART-XC operating in the 4-30 keV. (2019-present)
  • Swift Gamma-Ray Burst mission - The satellite is capable of an autonomous spacecraft response when a GRB is detected, enabling it to obtain accurate position estimates within minutes of the events and to conduct prompt follow-up multiwavelength (X-ray, UV and optical) observations. (2004 - present)
  • XMM-Newton - An X-ray observatory in a 48-hour highly eccentric Earth orbit with a very large collecting area and both medium-resolution CCDs and high-resolution gratings as well as the capability to conduct simultaneous X-ray & optical observations. (1999 - present)
  • X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) [JAXA/NASA with ESA participation] - a high-throughput, high-resolution spectroscopy mission, consisting of a narrow-field, high-resolution (ΔE ~5–7 eV) soft X-ray (E ~0.3–12 keV) spectrometer and a wider-field soft X-ray (0.5–12 keV) imager, i.e., similar to the SXS and SXI, respectively, flown on Hitomi (2023 - present).

[All Missions] [by Time] [by Energy]

Page authors: Lorella Angelini Jesse Allen
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Last modified: Monday, 23-Oct-2023 13:26:08 EDT

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