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What’s New

  • 08 Aug 2025 : XL-Calibur data at HEASARC
    The XL-Calibur archive opens at the HEASARC for the initial data release. The HEASARC currently holds event and spectra data, with calibration data slated to be released in a future update.

  • 19 Mar 2025 : First results publication
    Publication of the first results from the 2024 XL-Calibur observations of the Crab Nebula and Pulsar.

  • 14 Jul 2024 : End of XL-Calibur flight
    The XL-Calibur mission concluded a 6-day long flight, terminating close to Kugluktuk, Nunavut, Canada. During the flight, XL-Calibur successfully gathered 4 days of observational data.

  • Jul 2024 : Successful XL-Calibur launch
    The XL-Calibur balloon from NASA was successfully launched at 05:04 local time on the 9th of July from Esrange Space Center (Sweden). The flight is expected to last 4-5 days and it is possible to follow its journey across the Atlantic before landing in northern Canada.

  • Oct 2023 : New XL-Calibur launch window
    The new XL-Calibur launch window from Kiruna, Sweden, is set from May 7 to July 15 2024.

  • Oct 2022 : Update on the XL-Calibur Jul 2022 flight :
    the 6-day long flight had to contend with an accidental drop of the entire flight ballast at one side of the gondola, leading to 3.5 days of recovery operations without science observations. Furthermore, a mirror alignment error prevented the observations of the X-ray targets in the remaining time.

  • 12 July 2022 : Successful XL-Calibur launch
    XL-CALIBUR was launched in the early morning hours of 12 July 2022 (local time) from Esrange under excellent launch conditions. The balloon carried the payload to 130,000 feet altitude until the mission was terminated over northern Canada on July 18, 2022.

  • 24 June 2022 : XL-Calibur compatability testing at Esrange
    The fully assembled XL-Calibur telescope was rolled out for its prelaunch compatability test, which confirms fit and balance with the final balloon rigging. The planned launch after this test was scrubbed due to weather.

  • 9 May 2022 : XL-Calibur reassembly at Esrange
    Team members begin assembling and testing of the components after successful shipment to Sweden. Read more on the XL-Calibur blog page.