HEASARC Staff Scientist Position - Applications are now being accepted for a Staff Scientist with significant experience and interest in the technical aspects of astrophysics research, to work in the High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, MD. Refer to the AAS Job register for full details.

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What's New

  • Oct 30, 2017 - Hitomi archive opens

  • Jul 6, 2016- Hitomi Mission Charts Hot Winds of a Galaxy Cluster for the First Time
    see also Nature News and View

  • Jun 15, 2016 - JAXA update. See press release

  • Jun 10, 2016 - Hitomi Experience Report for MEXT panel. See press release

  • Jun 3, 2016 - Handout for MEXT meeting (update). See press release

  • May 27, 2016 - Handout for meeting called by the MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology). See press release

  • Apr 28, 2016 - JAXA ceases Hitomi recovery operations. See press release

  • Apr 15, 2016 - JAXA update on Hitomi status. See press release

  • Apr 8, 2016 - JAXA update on Hitomi status. See press release

  • Apr 1, 2016 - JAXA update on Hitomi status. See press release

  • Mar 28, 2016 - JAXA update on Hitomi status. See press release

  • Mar 27, 2016 - Hitomi communication failure. See press release

  • Feb 29, 2016 - Hitomi completed the critical operation phase successully !
    JAXA confirmed the completion of a sequence of important operations of the X-ray Astronomy Satellite Hitomi (ASTRO-H), including
    • turning the cooling system on,
    • test operation of the Soft X-ray Spectrometer (SXS),
    • extending the Extensible Optical Bench (EOB).
    With this confirmation, the critical operation phase of Hitomi was completed. The Hitomi will take about one and half months to verify the function of its onboard equipment and instruments in space, then we will conduct calibration observations for another one and half months. See press release

  • Feb 24, 2016 - The SXS instrument successfully achieved 50 mK operation. The detector system noise looks as expected and the SXS is ready for test observation.

  • Feb 21, 2016 - The SXS team successfully performed an aliveness test on the first and second stage ADR's. This included activating the heat switch heaters and applying the nominal 2 amp to each of the salt pill magnets. This indicates that the ADR system is ready to be operated to 50 mK.

  • Feb 18, 2016 - The SXS Joule-Thomson cooler has been turned on and the power is being increased incrementally. The cooling of the JT stage is reducing the heat load on the liquid helium tank, and it is beginning to cool down following the launch activities.

  • Feb 18, 2016 - Hitomi: results of the orbit calculation

  • Feb 17, 2016 - ASTRO-H has been named Hitomi. See Press Release

  • Feb 17, 2016 - ASTRO-H launched successfully at 5:45pm on Feb 17 2016

  • Feb 16,2016 - ASTRO-H ready on the launch pad

  • Feb 16,2016 - Watch the roll-out of Astro-H on the launch pad on 17 Feb 5:00am JST/ 16 Feb 3:00pm EST.

  • Feb 16, 2016 - The SXS team conducted a final performance check of the SXS detector system at 50 mK yesterday and everything was as expected. The dewar temperatures are all currently within requirements for the countdown.

  • Feb 14, 2016 13:00 JST- JAXA has announced the new date and time for the ASTRO-H launch: Feb 17, 2016 17:45-18:30 JST. See Press Release.

  • Feb 11, 2016 21:15 JST- ASTRO-H Launch scheduled for Feb 12 2016 has been Postponed.See Press Release.

  • Feb 11, 2016 - Today, L-1, the SXS was powered up and cooled to its nominal operating temperature of 50 mK for a final performance check. System noise and energy resolution on the calibration are as expected. Next step is final closeout of the dewar valve configuration for flight.

  • Feb 8, 2016 - The SXS dewar has been sucessfully topped-off with liquid helium.

  • Feb 7, 2016 - The SXS has completed a planned 12th and final cool down of the SXS instrument from room temperature prior to launch. The instrument performance was nominal and JAXA is now proceeding with the low temperature top-off of the liquid helium.

  • Dec 12, 2015 - A comperehensive test of the ASTRO-H observatory was successfully carried out following delivery of the ASTRO-H observatory to JAXA's Tanegashima Space Center.

  • Dec 11, 2015 - Astro-H launch date has been announced:
    Friday, Feb 12, 2016, 5:45 through 6:30 pm JST (Friday Feb 12, 2016 3:45-4:30 am EST)
    See Press Release

  • Dec 6, 2015 - ASTRO-H spacecraft arrived safely at the launch site, the Tanegashima island, on Dec. 6

  • Dec 1, 2015 - The ASTRO-H observatory has been shipped to JAXA's Tanegashima Space Center.