XMM-NEWTON HARDWARE IMAGES - SATELLITE
Disassembled XMM-Newton Spacecraft at ESTEC Test Facility
The XMM-Newton spacecraft, taken apart for transport, just before reintegration of the two parts. At the lower left the so-called service module, on which the entrance windows of the various telescopes and also the solar paddles will be mounted; in the upper right the other end of the spacecraft, which holds the focal plane instruments.
Aligning the Spacecraft for Re-assembly
Several onlookers have gathered at the ESTEC test site to watch the combination of the two parts of the XMM-Newton bus.
Re-integrating the Spacecraft
The two parts have been reintegrated and are now being fastened to each other. The total length of the spacecraft is now ca. 10 meters.
The XMM-Newton Bus in one Piece
In this photo one has a clear view of the bus in one piece, with the focal plane assembly at the top and the ventilation box right below it, on the front side of the bus.
The two white cones (radiators) belong to the EPIC MOS cameras, which are placed at the primary focal plane of two of XMM-Newton's three X-ray telescopes. Next to these, the two grey plates with one corner "chopped off" are the thermal radiators of the RGS spectrometers, located at the secondary focus of the same two X-ray telescopes as the MOS cameras. In between the two RGSes, one can see a black top with a round hole belonging to the EPIC p-n camera, which is the only instrument in the third X-ray telescope.
XMM-Newton Instrument Platform
A view of the XMM-Newton focal plane assembly, with the RGSs at the top (left and right), EPIC pn top centre, and the EPIC MOS cameras with their characteristic cone-shaped radiators below.
The XMM-Newton Mirrors During Integration
The XMM-Newton mirror modules on the backside of the XMM-Newton service module. One spider carrying a full set of 58 flight mirror shells is visible on the left side, while the two other modules are covered. At the bottom left the baffle of the Optical Monitor (OM) telescope is clearly visible. One also has a good view of the tanks on the corners of the service module and the pairs of little thrusters to which they belong.
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