Abstract

X-ray astronomy, which is almost totally dependent upon the use of space vehicles, has yielded many of the most important discoveries of the past twenty years in astronomy. It is now virtually suspended for a decade in the United States due to the lack of any operating NASA X-ray satellite, and the limited availability of existing or prospective Japanese and European X-ray observatories. However, well-developed plans exist at NASA for a series of complementary X-ray astronomy missions which, when implemented, will open new opportunities for discovery and analysis at levels of sensitivity and resolution greatly exceeding all previous capabilities. The most important of these is AXAF, the Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility, conceived as a permanent orbiting X-ray observatory with capabilities for high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy comparable to those of major optical and radio observatories. The scientific objectives of X-ray astronomy and the requirements for their achievement will be reviewed in relation to AXAF and other missions.

© 1982 AIAA