The European Space Agency’s X-ray space observatory has taken its very first pictures giving new views on the Universe. The commissioning images confirm that the XMM spacecraft, its X-ray telescopes and science instruments are functioning perfectly, to the great satisfaction of all involved.
Under the aegis of Prof. Roger Bonnet, ESA Director of Science, the mission’s Principal Investigators will be presenting these spectacular first images at a press conference to be held on 9 February at the ESA Vilspa facility at Villafranca/Madrid in Spain, where the XMM Science Operations Centre is located. The event will also be the occasion for several major announcements concerning the XMM mission.
In particular Professor Bonnet will launch the third XMM competition "Stargazing" – previously announced in September 1999. This will address European youngsters, 16 to 18 years old, who will be offered the unique opportunity of winning observing time using the X-ray telescope.
Commissioning phase starts
After a successful launch from Kourou on Ariane 504 on 10 December 1999, XMM was brought to its final operational orbit in the following week. The telescope doors on the X-ray Mirror Modules and on the Optical Monitor telescope were opened on 17/18 December. The Radiation Monitor was activated on 19 December and the spacecraft was put into a quiet mode over the Christmas and New Year period.
The mission’s scientific data is being received, processed and dispatched to astronomers by the XMM Science Operations Centre in Villafranca. Operations with the spacecraft restarted there on 4 January when, as part of the commissioning phase, all the science payloads were switched on one after the other for initial verifications. By the week of 17 January functional tests had begun on the Optical Monitor, the EPIC pn, the two EPIC MOS and the two RGS instruments. The internal doors of the EPIC cameras were opened whilst keeping the camera filter wheels closed.
Astounding first images
After a series of engineering exposures, all three EPIC cameras were used in turn, between 19-24 January, to take several views of two different extragalactic regions of the Universe. These views, featuring a variety of extended and X-ray point sources, were chosen to demonstrate the full functioning of the observatory. The Optical Monitor also simultaneously viewed the same regions. One RGS spectrometer obtained its first spectra on 25 January; the other will be commissioned at the start of February.
This initial series of short and long duration exposures have delighted the Project management team and the scientists even more. First analyses confirm that the spacecraft is extremely stable, the XMM telescopes are focusing perfectly, and the EPIC cameras, Optical Monitor and RGS spectrometers are working exactly as expected. The Science Operations Centre infrastructure, processing and archiving the science data telemetry from the spacecraft, is also performing well.
Initial inspection of the first commissioning images immediately showed some unique X-ray views of several celestial objects, to be presented on 9 February. The occasion will give Principal Investigators and Project management the opportunity to comment on the pictures and the excellent start of the XMM mission.
The Calibration and Performance Verification phase for XMM’s science instruments is to begin on 3 March, with routine science operations starting in June.
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Press is invited to attend to the press conference that will be held at the Villafranca/ Madrid- Vilspa facility (ESAÃs Satellite Tracking Station) Apartado 50727, E-2 080 MADRID, Spain.
The press event will be broadcast to the other ESA establishments:
ESA Headquarters, Paris; ESA/ ESTEC (Space Expo), Noordwijk, the Netherlands; ESA/ESOC, Darmstadt, Germany and ESA/ESRIN, Frascati, Italy. Media representatives wishing to attend the event are kindly requested to fill out the attached reply from and fax it back to the establishment of their choice.
For more information, please contact :
ESA ñ Communication Division
Media Relations Office
Tel: +33(0)1.53.69.7155
Fax: +33(0)1.53.69.7690
Dr. Fred Jansen, XMM Project Scientist
ESA ñ Estec (Noordwijk, The Netherlands)
Tel: +31 71 565 4426
Email: fjansen@astro.estec.esa.nl
For further information on XMM visit the ESA science web pages at http://sci.esa.int/xmm
For further information on ESA; http://www.esa.int
Press event agenda
09:30 Doors open/Accreditation
10:00 Welcome & Introduction
Why are we in Spain ? Past and future scientific projects overview
(from IUE and ISO to XMM)
Prof. R. Bonnet, ESAÃs Director of Science
10:05 Status of the spacecraft and telescope
F. Jansen, ESAÃs XMM Project Scientist
10:10 Presentation of the selected pictures
Principal Investigators, moderation by M. Ransom
11:40 Scientific expectations
F. Jansen, ESAÃs XMM Project Scientist
11:45 Major announcements & Conclusions
Prof. R.Bonnet, ESAÃs Director of Science
11:55 Questions & Answers session
Moderation by M. Ransom
Possibility of individual interviews
Buffet
XMM first images presented at ESA’s Vilspa
9 February 2000 – 09h30 – 12h30
Villafranca/ Madrid, Spain
First Name: _________________ Surname: ____________________________
Media: _________________________________________________________
Telephone: ___________________ Cell Phone: _________________________
Fax: _____________________ e-mail: _________________________________
I intend to follow the XMM first images event at the following centre:
( ) Spain: ESA/ Villafranca- Vilspa Tracking station
Apartado 50727, Madrid, Spain
Contact person : Fany PeZ Tel. + 34 1 813 12.11, Fax +34 1 813 12 12
___________________________________________________
Rebroadcast of the event only:
( ) France: ESA/Head Office
Address: 8-10 Rue Mario Nikis, 75015 Paris
Contact person: Anne-Marie Rémondin
Tel. + 33 (0)1 5369 7155 Fax: + 33 (0)1 5369 7690
( ) Germany: ESA/ ESOC
Address: Robert Bosch Strasse 5, Darmstadt, D-64293
Contact person: Jocelyne Landeau-Constantin
Tel +49 6151 90 26 96, Fax+ 49 6151 90 29 61
( ) The Netherlands: ESA/ ESTEC
Address: Keplerlaan 3, 2201 AZ Noordwijk
Contact person: Heidi Graf
Tel: + 31 71 565 3006, Fax: + 31 71 565 5728
( ) Italy: ESA/ESRIN- Frascati
Address: via Galileo Galilei, 00044 Frascati (Rome)
Contact person: Franca Morgia
Tel: + 39 06 9418 0951, Fax. + 39 06 9418 0952
PLEASE COMPLETE AND FAX THIS FORM TO THE CONTACT PERSON AT THE CENTRE WHERE YOU WILL BE ATTENDING THE EVENT.
Villafranca lies approximately 30km from the centre of Madrid. The motorways M-40 and M-503 link VILSPA with Madrid.
From Barajas (Madrid Airport follow the A-10 motorway and take the beltway M-40 direction North. Follow the M-40 for approximately 25 kms and leave the motorway at junction 41 (Majadahonda) sign M-503 and follow the indications given in the last paragraph.
To reach VILSPA from the center of Madrid, follow the signs to the highway A-6 or N-VI (direction to Villalba ) and continue along N-VI until you reach at junction 11. At junction 11, exit N-VI and enter motorway M-40 (direction to Toledo, Talavera, N-IV, N-V). Continue for approximately 4 km and leave the motorway at junction 41 and join the motorway M-503 (direction to Majadahonda).
After apprx. 4 kms on M-503 exit at junction 8, follow the signs to M-516 (Boadilla, Majadahonda).
At the first roundabout turn left and cross over the motorway. Continue in direction to Boadilla. Pass the
second roundabout. At the third roundabout, turn to the left (ESA sign – direction to El Escorial/Valdemorillo /Villanueva del Pardillo). Follow M-503 until the next roundabout (approx. 6 km). Go to the left and follow the road for about 2 km.
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