The First Wide-field X-ray Imaging Telescope for Observations of Charge Exchange

Completed TRL 3 (started at 3, targeting 4)

Description

Soft x-ray emission from the interaction of solar wind with the earth's exosphere provides a very significant foreground to all soft x-ray observations. It is essential that astrophysicists understand and model foreground emission in detail. The first end-to-end demonstration of a very wide field soft x-ray imager instrument enables solar wind charge exchange global observations near the magneto-sphere that is a spatially, temporally, and spectrally varying foreground for all X-ray observations.

We will demonstrate a full, end-to-end, lobster-eye optic instrument at GSFC. The STORM prototype is fully self-contained, including integrated pre-amps, HV power supplies, and C&DH. The workplan includes integrating the optics panels into the optics holder, developing the C&DH code on the integrated FPGA, deploying the instrument in GSFC's 100m and/or 500m x-ray beamlines and measuring end-to-end performance including image quality and throughput as a function of x-ray energy.

Benefits

N/A

Details

Technology area	Sensors and Instruments > Remote Sensing Instruments and Sensors
Program	Center Independent Research & Development: GSFC IRAD (GSFC IRAD)
Lead organization	Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
Start date	2011-10-01
End date	2012-09-01

Project contacts

Listed on TechPort itself — the most direct way to ask about this specific project.

Stanley D Hunter — stanley.d.hunter@nasa.gov
Frederick S Porter — frederick.s.porter@nasa.gov
David G Sibeck — david.g.sibeck@nasa.gov
Michael Collier — michael.r.collier@nasa.gov
Norman K Dobson — norman.k.dobson@nasa.gov
Paul S Rozmarynowski — paul.s.rozmarynowski@nasa.gov
Timo T Saha — timo.t.saha@nasa.gov

How to get involved

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 3) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.