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Thin grazing-angle X-ray mirror module ready for X-ray testing at GSFC’s Area 200
Significance: World-class thin grazing-angle X-ray mirror technology that may enable the next X-ray Great Observatory
Project Title: Next Generation X-ray Optics: High Resolution, Light Weight, and Low Cost
PI: Zhang, William (GSFC)
Scanning-electron micrograph of cleaved freestanding Critical-Angle Transmission (CAT) grating sample
Significance: Highest-resolution X-ray transmission grating technology that could fly on the next X-ray Great Observatory
Project Title: Technology Maturation for a High-Sensitivity and High-Resolving-Power X-ray Spectrometer
PI: Mark Schattenburg (MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research)
Four Critical-Angle Transmission (CAT) grating facets aligned and mounted for testing
Significance: Enhances manufacturability of highest-resolution
Project Title: Readying
PI: Randall Smith (SAO)
RFSoC board ready for thermal/vacuum testing
Significance: Fast readouts are crucial for large focal plane arrays in future missions
Project Title: Development of Low-Power FPGA-based Readout Electronics for Superconducting Detector Arrays
PI: Philip Mauskopf (ASU)
Using QISPF camera at the University of Rochester Mees Observatory
Significance: Low-noise detectors are crucial for future missions
Project Title: A Single-Photon-Sensing and Photon-Number-Resolving Detector for NASA Missions
PI: Don Figer (RIT)
Thermal Kinetic Inductance Detectors (TKIDs)
Significance: CMB polarimetry is crucial for identifying echoes of the Big Bang
Project Title: Superconducting Detectors for Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Polarimetry in PICO
PI: Roger O’Brient (JPL/Caltech)
Backside of part of LEM-style array showing single pixels and hydra multiplexed readouts
Significance: High-resolution TES microcalorimeters may enable the next
Project Title: Advanced
PI: Steve Smith (GSFC)
Magnetically coupled Micro-Calorimeters (MMCs) and micro-multiplexer (µMUX) mounted for insertion into new GSFC dilution refrigerator
Significance: MMCs offer energy resolution that may enable the next
Project Title: MMC Arrays for
PI: Simon Bandler (GSFC)
Deterministic polishing of National Ignition Facility (NIF) mandrel in Zeeko CNC polishing machine
Significance: High-quality
Project Title: X-ray Mandrel and Shell Polishing
PI: Jeff Kolodziejczak (MSFC)
Mandrel with NiCo Plating
Significance: High-quality
Project Title: Advanced X-ray Optics: Mirror Fabrication – Electroforming Replication
PI: Panini Singam (MSFC)
IXPE X-ray mirror shells
Significance: High-quality EUV and
Project Title: Advanced X-ray Optics: Shell Alignment and Mounting
PI: Stephen Bongiorno (MSFC)
Adhesion test system with coated wafer
Significance: High-quality X-ray optics may enable or enhance future Astrophysics missions
Project Title: Advanced X-ray Optics: X-ray Optic Thin-Film Coatings
PI: Danielle Gurgew (MSFC)
Dark current map in back-illuminated X-ray CCD
Significance: Advanced X-ray detectors may enable the next X-ray Great Observatory
Project Title: Toward Fast, Low-Noise, Radiation Tolerant X-ray Imaging Arrays for Lynx: Raising Technology Readiness Further
PI: Mark Bautz (MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research)
A kilo-pixel Transition-Edge Sensor (TES) test package
Significance: Advancing time-domain multiplexing (TDM) technology for large-format TES bolometers could enable or enhance the next Far-IR Great Observatory
Project Title: Advancing Readout of Large-Format Far-IR Transition-Edge Sensor Arrays
PI: Karwan Rostem (GSFC)
Radio Frequency System-on-Chip (RFSoC) brassboard prepared for thermal performance test
Significance: High-density readout may enable large focal planes needed for future missions
Project Title: Advancing High-Density Readout Technology for Superconducting Sensor Arrays for Spaceflight
PI: Larry Ruckman (SLAC)
Hydra Transition-Edge Sensor (TES) integrated with 8 MHz 𝜇mux chip
Significance: High-multiplexing-factor readouts may enable missions such as the next X-ray Great Observatory
Project Title: Technology development for Microwave Superconducting QUantum Interference Device (SQUID) multiplexing for the Lynx X-ray Observatory
PI: Douglas Bennett (NIST)
Performance testing of 4-K-to-0.05-K Continuous Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator (CADR) subsystem
Significance: This advanced sub-Kelvin cooling technology may enable multiple future strategic missions
Project Title: High-Efficiency Continuous Cooling for Cryogenic Instruments and sub-Kelvin Detectors
PI: James Tuttle (GSFC)
Speckle interferometer used in ultra-stable test bed
Significance: Ultra-stability and -precision (~10 pm) may enable the next IR/optical/UV Great Observatory
Project Title: Ultra-Stable Structures: Development and Characterization Using Spatial Dynamic Metrology
PI: Babak Saif (GSFC)
Fully Hybridized far-IR triple-stack detector array
Significance: Advanced
Project Title: Development of a Robust, Efficient Process to Produce Scalable, Superconducting Kilopixel
PI: Johannes Staguhn (JHU & GSFC)
SPRITE CubeSat primary mirror LiF-capped using hybrid PVD/ALD process
Significance: Advanced coatings may enable future far-UV missions
Project Title: High-Performance, Stable, and Scalable UV Aluminum Mirror Coatings Using ALD
PI: John Hennessy (JPL)
Processing setup for uniformity of film thickness across a 6”-diameter sample stage
Significance: High far-UV reflectance is prevented by oxidation of aluminum mirrors; removing it may enable future far-UV missions
Project Title: E-Beam-Generated Plasma Etching for Developing High-Reflectance Mirrors for Far-Ultraviolet Astronomical Instrument Applications
PI: Manuel Quijada (GSFC)
Kinetic Inductance Device (KID) array with >800 pixels and two wirebonds
Significance: Extremely sensitive
Project Title: Ultra-Sensitive Bolometers for
PI: C. Matt Bradford (JPL)
SOI waveguide mixer block for far-IR detector array
Significance: Further development of this high-resolution
Project Title: Development of High-Resolution
PI: Imran Mehdi (JPL)
Science-grade photon-counting near-IR detector
Significance: Ultra-low-noise detectors may enable spectroscopy of extrasolar planets
Project Title: Photon-Counting NIR LmAPD Arrays for Ultra-Low Background Space Observations
PI: Michael Bottom (U. of Hawaii)
Testing CTE homogeneity of additive-manufacture aluminum mirror segment
Significance: This technology may enable required ultra-stability (~10 pm) for the next IR/Optical/UV Great Observatory
Project Title: UV/Optical to Far-IR Mirror and Telescope Technology
PI: H. Philip Stahl (MSFC)
Test flat grating in ALS measurement configuration
Significance: MMay enable future UV/optical spectroscopic missions; enables current UV suborbital missions
Project Title: Electron-Beam-Lithography Ruled Gratings for Future UV/Optical Missions: High Efficiency and Low Scatter in the Vacuum UV
PI: Brian Fleming (U. of Colorado)
Palladium and gold used to heat-sink back of detector
Significance: May enable future Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) missions, e.g. LiteBIRD
Project Title: Technology Development for LiteBIRD and Other CMB Missions
PI: Adrian T. Lee (UC Berkeley)
High-density 3D-printed traces on ceramic substrate
Significance: May enable sparse-field multi-object spectroscopy for future strategic and other missions
Project Title: Scalable Microshutter Systems for UV, Visible, and IR Spectroscopy
PI: Matt Greenhouse (GSFC)
Planacon tube body with MgF2 entrance window and hermetic XS anode
Significance: Baselined by HabEx, LUVOIR, and CETUS for UV/Visible light detection
Project Title: High-Performance Sealed-Tube Cross-Strip (XS) Photon-Counting Sensors for UV-Vis Astrophysics Instruments
PI: Oswald Siegmund (UC Berkeley)
Multi-Channel Plate (MCP) assembly mounted over TPX4 test board in vacuum
Significance: Four-side-buttable low-power readout chips may enable future far-UV missions with large focal planes
Project Title: Large-Format, High-Dynamic-Range UV Detector Using MCPs and Timepix4 Readouts
PI: John Vallerga (UC Berkeley)
TEMS sub-4-K cryogenics package and detector assembly
Significance: Supports NASA
Project Title: Advanced
PI: F. Scott Porter (GSFC)
Superlattice-doped, 3D-stacked detector
Significance: Multi-gigapixel mosaic focal planes with large format CMOS detectors, low noise, small pixels, and broadband UV/O/IR response or visible-blind high-quantum-efficiency near-UV detectors may enable such future strategic missions as the IR/O/UV Great Observatory
Project Title: High Performance FUV, NUV, and UV/Optical CMOS Imagers
PI: Michael Hoenk (JPL)
Test facility for detector calibration, including quantum efficiency (QE) and energy resolution
Significance: This work may retire development risks and satisfy performance and technical requirements for detectors needed for future strategic X-ray missions
Project Title: Development of Advanced Pixelated Si Sensors for the Next Generation of X-ray Observatories
PI: Ralph Kraft (SAO)
Polished Si grating with 80 mm diameter, 250 mm radius of curvature, and hyperbolic grooves
Significance: High-efficiency echelles and full-sized, curved-substrate, flight-like UV gratings may enable spectroscopy for strategic missions such as the IR/O/UV Great Observatory, Probes, Explorers, and sounding-rocket missions
Project Title: UV Spectroscopy for the Next Decade Enabled Through Nanofabrication Techniques
PI: Randall McEntaffer (PSU)