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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Schedules and Timelines

GO Cycle observation schedules

Performance Verification (PV) phase

Post-Launch Timeline

  • September 2026: End of nominal mission. Start of cryogen free mission.
  • September 2024: Start of General Observer (GO) phase.
  • February 15, 2024 Early release (ER) data, which observers can use to get familiar with XRISM observations, became available. Note that these data were extracted assuming the current, still preliminary, calibration. While the calibration is advanced enough to demonstrate the data quality, reliable scientific results cannot be derived from these data products until full data and calibration are available.
  • January 05, 2024 XRISM's first light has been released! The two instruments are performing exceptionally: Resolve reaching a spectral resolution of 5 eV (exceeding the 7 eV requirement) and Xtend performing as expected. 2023
  • December 2023 - August 2024: PV (Performance & Verification) phase - see the target list.
  • October 30, 2023 The Resolve Modulated X-ray Source (MXS) has been activated and is producing X-rays to be used for full array calibration and energy gain monitoring.
  • October 25, 2023 Xtend SXI has been successfully turned on. The four CCDs have reached the required operational temperatures, and X-rays are being detected from the internal calibration sources. Xtend is expected to begin observing celestial objects soon.
  • October 17, 2023 The Resolve dewar has now been cooled with all cryocoolers and the 1st and 2nd stage ADRs. The temperatures and cooling powers are all nominal. The full array of detector pixels successfully detected X-rays from the calibration source on the Filter Wheel and shows excellent uniformity, with better than 5 eV energy resolution.
  • October 10, 2023 After reaching the required operational temperature in the Resolve dewar, the adiabatic demagnetization magnetic refrigerators (ADR) were activated, and the target temperature of 0.050 K for the array stage was achieved.
  • September 11, 2023 The end of the critical operation period and the start of commissioning for XRISM. JAXA announced the end of the critical operation period, which is the period after the separation of the satellite from the launch vehicle until the satellite can maintain a stable and safe condition. XRISM has entered the commissioning period, which will last about three months to verify the functions of the satellite's onboard equipment.
  • September 11, 2023 The electronics boxes for the Resolve instrument have been powered ON. The XBOX is providing readout of the anticoincidence detector and providing data on the particle background, and the ADRC is reporting tempetures throughout the dewar. The XBOX will be used later in the mission to provide readout of the X-ray calorimeter array while the ADRC will be used to control the magnetic refrigerators to reach the 0.050K operational temperature of the array. The spacecraft electronics are now controlling the temperatures of the two X-Ray Mirror Assemblies.
  • September 2023 - December 2023/January 2024: Checkout and initial calibration phase.
  • September 8, 2023 During the launch of XRISM, the vent port of the helium cryostat was successfully opened to permit cooling of the liquid helium to the operational temperture of < 1.3K. The cryocoolers have been turned on after releasing the launch locks that protect the cryocoolers during launch. The internal dewar components will now begin to come into thermal equilibrium.
  • September 7, 2023 JAXA announced that completion of the sun acquisition control and deployment of the solar arrays for XRISM.
  • September 6, 2023 XRISM was launched successfully from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan at 23:42 UT Wednesday, September 6 (8:42 a.m on September 7, 2023 JST).

Pre-Launch Timeline

  • Aug 2023: Expected launch date from Japan.
  • Spring 2022: XGS (XRISM Guest Scientist) call released.
  • Fall 2021: XMA scheduled to be delivered to JAXA.
  • Early 2021: PV target list selected and posted above.
  • Late 2020:Continued integration and testing of integrated XMA at GSFC.
  • Mid 2020: Integration and testing of the Resolve CSI in Japan.
  • 2020: Instrument delivery to Japan, spacecraft assembly, and testing of all flight hardware.
  • 2019: Delivered Calorimeter Spectrometer Insert (CSI) for Resolve (Nov 2019) to JAXA from GSFC.
  • 2019: Production and testing of instruments and assembly of spacecraft.
  • 2018: Project kickoff and basic design decision.
  • 2017: Initial project study and assessment.