The NewAthena X-ray telescope is a major space mission scheduled to launch around 2037, led by the European Space Agency with significant contributions from NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Its primary goal is to study hot gas in space and search for supermassive black holes. The mission will operate from a stable point in space called the L1 Lagrange point, which is about 1.5 million kilometers away from Earth.
A key part of the telescope is an instrument called the X-IFU, which uses advanced sensors to detect X-rays. These sensors rely on superconducting quantum interference devices, or SQUIDs, to measure tiny electrical signals. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is contributing the electronic readout circuitry that allows these sensors to work, helping the device distinguish different X-ray energies.
While this project does not establish a new computing standard, it demonstrates the use of quantum technology in real-world applications. The instrument is currently being developed following a redesign in 2023 and involves a global team from 11 countries. Once launched, it will help scientists understand how matter forms large structures in the universe.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/measuring-cosmos/advanced-telescope-high-energy-astrophysics-newathena
Keywords: transition-edge-sensor, microcalorimeter, superconducting quantum interference device
