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X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton)
Identification
Hosting Legal Entity
European Space Agency
Location
Villanueva de la Cañada, XMM Science Operations Centre, Madrid, PO: 28691 (Spain)
Structure
Type Of RI
Single-sited
Coordinating Country
France
Status
Status
Current Status:
Operational since 1999
Scientific Description
The European Space Agency's (ESA) X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton) was launched by an Ariane 504 on December 10th 1999. XMM-Newton is ESA's second cornerstone of the Horizon 2000 Science Programme. It carries 3 high throughput X-ray telescopes with an unprecedented effective area, and an optical monitor, the first flown on a X-ray observatory. The large collecting area and ability to make long uninterrupted exposures provide highly sensitive observations.Since Earth's atmosphere blocks out all X-rays, only a telescope in space can detect and study celestial X-ray sources. The XMM-Newton mission is helping scientists to solve a number of cosmic mysteries, ranging from the enigmatic black holes to the origins of the Universe itself. Observing time on XMM-Newton is being made available to the scientific community, applying for observational periods on a competitive basis.

Classifications
RI Category
Telescopes
Scientific Domain
Physics, Astronomy, Astrophysics and Mathematics
ESFRI Domain
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Date of last update: 04/09/2018
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