Conference proceeding
The high-energy observatory for imaging x-rays (HEROIX) broadband x-ray space telescope mission concept
Proceedings of SPIE, the international society for optical engineering, Vol.14146, pp.141460M-141460M-14
08/17/2026
DOI: 10.1117/12.3105776
Abstract
The High EneRgy Observatory for Imaging X-rays (HEROIX) Medium-Class Mission concept is a next-generation broadband X-ray observatory designed to meet the astrophysics community’s need for high-angular resolution studies of the Cosmic X-ray Background (CXB) and the growth of supermassive black holes. Building on the science legacy of NASA’s NuSTAR mission and more than 30 years of advances in replicated NiCo shell technology at Marshall Space Flight Center, HEROIX proposes a space-based observatory comprising six co-aligned telescopes achieving 5-arcsecond half-power diameter (HPD) angular resolution. This capability, approached by the resolution demonstrated in the FOXSI-4 sounding rocket mission and under development through the SuperHERO balloon mission as well as Marshall’s X-ray optics program, will be extended to energies up to 79 keV through advanced multilayer coatings. Marshall’s in-house precision optics manufacturing enables an integrated effective area of 570 cm2 at 30 keV, which, combined with an order-of-magnitude improvement in angular resolution over current hard X-ray observatories, will open new windows into non-thermal processes in extreme astrophysical environments. HEROIX will provide decades of discovery for the high-energy astrophysics community, advancing our understanding of supernova physics, the X-ray binary population of the Galactic Center, and accretion-driven galaxy evolution.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- The high-energy observatory for imaging x-rays (HEROIX) broadband x-ray space telescope mission concept
- Creators
- Nicholas E. Thomas - Marshall Space Flight CenterChien-Ting Chen - Marshall Space Flight CenterMike Baysinger - Marshall Space Flight CenterStephen D. Bongiorno - Marshall Space Flight CenterThomas E. Brooks - Marshall Space Flight CenterPatrick R. Champey - Marshall Space Flight CenterCasey T. DeRoo - University of IowaJames B. David - Marshall Space Flight CenterBen L. Diedrich - Amentum (United States)Kirtankumar P. Dixit - NASA Marshall Space Flight Ctr. (United States)Steven R. Ehlert - Marshall Space Flight CenterLeo L. Fabisinski - Marshall Space Flight CenterRebekah L. Frederick - Marshall Space Flight CenterJay C. Garcia - Marshall Space Flight CenterDanielle N. Gurgew - Universities Space Research AssociationKouichi Hagino - RIKENMark W. Ibekwe - Marshall Space Flight CenterJohn P. Inness - Marshall Space Flight CenterPhilip Kaaret - Marshall Space Flight CenterRavishekar Kannan - Marshall Space Flight CenterW. Peter Maksym - Marshall Space Flight CenterHironori Matsumoto - The University of OsakaJohn H. Morley - Marshall Space Flight CenterKoji Mori - University of MiyazakiKazuhiro Nakazawa - Nagoya UniversityPanini S. Singam - Marshall Space Flight CenterDavid D. Smith - Marshall Space Flight CenterBenjamin H. Stolz - Marshall Space Flight CenterDouglas A. Swartz - Universities Space Research AssociationTadayuki Takahashi - The University of TokyoShin'ichiro Takeda - Fukushima Institute for Research, Education and InnovationDan Thomas - Marshall Space Flight CenterSarah A. Triana - Marshall Space Flight CenterTakeshi G. Tsuru - Kyoto UniversityYoshihiro Ueda - Kyoto UniversityShin Watanabe - Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
- Contributors
- Shouleh Nikzad (Editor) - Jet Propulsion LaboratoryKazuhiro Nakazawa (Editor) - Nagoya UniversityMarco Feroci (Editor) - INAF - Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali (Italy)
- Resource Type
- Conference proceeding
- Publication Details
- Proceedings of SPIE, the international society for optical engineering, Vol.14146, pp.141460M-141460M-14
- DOI
- 10.1117/12.3105776
- ISSN
- 0277-786X
- Publisher
- SPIE
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 08/17/2026
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy; University College Courses
- Record Identifier
- 9985241007402771
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