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Spektr-RG

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Spektr-RG
Спектр-РГ
Artist's impression of the deployed Spektr-RG
Mission typeX-ray astronomy[1]
OperatorRussian Space Research Institute,German Aerospace Center
COSPAR ID2019-040AEdit this at Wikidata
SATCATno.44432
Websitesrg.iki.rssi.ru
Mission durationPlanned: 6.5 years[1]
Elapsed: 5 years, 2 months, 19 days
Spacecraft properties
BusNavigator[2]
ManufacturerNPO Lavochkin,Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Launch mass2,712 kg (5,979 lb)[1]
Payload mass1,210 kg (2,670 lb)[1]
Power1.8 kW
Start of mission
Launch date13 July 2019, 12:31(2019-07-13UTC12:31)UTC[1][3]
RocketProton-M[1]
Launch siteBaikonurSite 81/24
Orbital parameters
Reference systemSun–Earth L2
RegimeHalo orbit
Main telescope
TypeeROSITA:Wolter
WavelengthsX-ray
Instruments
eROSITA,ART-XC
Spektr program

Spektr-RG(Russian:Спектр-РГ,Spectrum+Röntgen+Gamma;also calledSpectrum-X-Gamma,SRG,SXG) is a Russian–Germanhigh-energy astrophysicsspace observatory which was launched on 13 July 2019.[4]It follows on from theSpektr-Rsatellite telescope launched in 2011.[5]

Background

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The original idea for this X-ray observatory satellite orbiting above Earth's atmosphere, which filters X-rays, was first proposed in the 1980s byRashid Sunyaevof theSpace Research Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences.Twenty institutions from twelve countries came together to design a large observatory with five telescopes. However, after the collapse of theSoviet Union,the mission was abandoned due to cost-cutting from the Russian space programRoscosmos.The project was resurrected in 2003 with a scaled-down design.[6]

Overview

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eROSITA overview animation from theGerman Aerospace Centershowing the Spektr-RG mission profile

The primary instrument of the mission iseROSITA,built by theMax Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics(MPE) in Germany. It is designed to conduct a seven-year X-ray survey,[7]the first in the mediumX-ray bandless than 10 keV energies, and the first to map an estimated 100,000 galaxy clusters.[8]This survey may detect newclusters of galaxiesandactive galactic nuclei.The second instrument,ART-XC,is a Russian high-energyX-ray telescopecapable of detectingsupermassive black holes.[8]

Spacecraft

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The Spektr-RG mission concept was published in 2005.[9]Construction was finished in 2016, and by mid-2018 it was under integration and testing. It was scheduled to be launched in June 2019 but was delayed to 12 July, before the flight was postponed at the last moment. It launched the next day, 13 July 2019, fromBaikonurSite 81/24.[1]The observatory was integrated into aNavigatorsatellite bus,[10]produced byNPO Lavochkin.[11]

Mission profile and orbit

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The spacecraft entered an orbit around the Sun, circling the Sun-EarthL2Lagrangian pointin ahalo orbit,about 1.5 million kilometres away from Earth. Cruise to that location took three months, during which the two telescopes were checked out and calibrated. The next four years were planned to be spent performing eight all-sky surveys. As a goal, the three years after that are planned for observations of selectedgalaxy clustersand AGNs (Active Galactic Nuclei).[12]

On Monday 21 October 2019, Spektr-RG completed a 100-day cruise to L2-point. On 17 October 2019, the main eROSITA instrument achievedfirst light.[13]The first light image of ART-XC was taken on July 30, 2019.[14]

The operations of eROSITA were suspended on 26 February 2022 after theRussian invasion into Ukraineupon request from Germany. At the time, eROSITA had completed four of its planned eight full-sky surveys.[15]

In March 2022, Russia said they turned off one of the two telescopes aboard Spektr-RG (presumably eROSITA) upon request from Germany.[16]In June, the head of Roscosmos threatened to unilaterally seize control of the German telescope, citing German officials' "pro-fascist views".[17]

Instruments

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Spektr-RG instruments. eROSITA is the larger mirrors on the bottom left and ART-XC is the smaller mirrors on the top right.
Instruments on the Spektr-RG observatory
eROSITA[7] ART-XC[18]
Organisation MPE IKI/VNIIEF
Telescope type Wolter Wolter
Wavelength X-ray X-ray
Mass 810 kg 350 kg
Sensitivity range 0.3–10keV 4–30keV
Field of view 1 degree 30arcminutes
Angular resolution 15arcseconds 45 arcseconds
Sensor area 2,400 cm2at 1keV 450 cm2at 8keV

Optical mission support

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Spektr-RG on a 2020 stamp of Russia

Russian

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German

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See also

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  • IXPE—a high-resolution X-ray telescope measuring polarization of X-rays
  • List of X-ray space telescopes
  • ROSAT—observed at similar X-ray energies in the 1990s
  • TAUVEX—an instrument originally planned for Spektr-RG; it was built but never flown

References

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  1. ^abcdefgZak, Anatoly (16 April 2016)."Spektr-RG to expand horizons of X-ray astronomy".Russian Space Web.Retrieved16 September2016.
  2. ^Gunter Dirk Krebs."Spektr-RG (SXG)".Retrieved4 February2011.
  3. ^ROSCOSMOS."Spektr-RG (SXG)".Archived fromthe originalon 20 June 2019.Retrieved20 June2019.
  4. ^Howell, Elizabeth (13 July 2019)."Russia Launches Spektr-RG, a New X-Ray Observatory, into Space".Space.com.Retrieved13 July2019.
  5. ^"Russia Successfully Launches Next-Generation Space Telescope".Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.13 July 2019.Retrieved16 July2019.
  6. ^Clery, Daniel (15 July 2019)."Update: Telescope designed to study mysterious dark energy keeps Russia's space science hopes alive".Science.American Association for the Advancement of Science.doi:10.1126/science.aay3154.Retrieved16 July2019.
  7. ^ab"eROSITA Technical Performance".Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics.Retrieved14 June2019.
  8. ^abClery, Daniel (10 July 2019)."Telescope designed to study mysterious dark energy keeps Russia's space science hopes alive".Science.Retrieved15 June2019.
  9. ^"Spectrum-RG/eRosita/Lobster mission definition document".Russian Space Research Institute.30 October 2005.Retrieved4 February2011.
  10. ^Zak, Anatoly (19 June 2019)."The Navigator satellite bus".Russian Space Web.Retrieved13 July2019.
  11. ^Graham, William (13 July 2019)."Russian Proton-M launches Spektr-RG observatory".NASASpaceFlight.com.Retrieved15 June2019.
  12. ^"SRG (Spectrum Roentgen Gamma) – Satellite Missions – eoPortal Directory".directory.eoportal.org.Retrieved20 June2019.
  13. ^German X-ray telescope achieves ‘first light’.Spaceflight Now (23 October 2019). Retrieved on 2020-07-01.
  14. ^"Новости. Первый свет обсерватории" Спектр-РГ "".www.roscosmos.ru.Retrieved5 August2019.
  15. ^Statement on the status of the eROSITA instrument aboard Spektr-RG (SRG)
  16. ^Russia stops deliveries of rocket engines to US, Roscosmos Head Says
  17. ^"Russia plans to restart German telescope without permission | DW | 04.06.2022".Deutsche Welle.4 June 2022.Retrieved16 June2022.
  18. ^ART-XC / SRG overview.M. Pavlinsky; V. Levin; V. Akimov; A. Krivchenko; A. Rotin; M. Kuznetsova; I. Lapshov; A. Tkachenko; R. Krivonos; N. Semena; M. Buntov; A. Glushenko; V. Arefiev; A. Yaskovich; S. Grebenev; S. Sazonov; A. Lutovinov; S. Molkov; D. Serbinov; M. Kudelin; T. Drozdova; S. Voronkov; R. Sunyaev; E. Churazov; M. Gilfanov; B. Ramsey; S. L. O'Dell; J. Kolodziejczak; V. Zavlin; D. Swartz.ProceedingsVolume 10699, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2018: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray; 106991Ydoi:10.1117/12.23120536 July 2018.
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