The Rockets for Extended-source X-ray Spectroscopy (tREXS) is a suborbital rocket program that uses a wide-field grating spectrograph to obtain spectroscopic data on extended, soft-X-ray sources. The multi-channel tREXS spectrograph uses passive, mechanical focusing optics and stacks of reflection gratings to achieve a spectral resolution of R ≈ 50 from ≈15 – 40 Å over a >10 deg2 field of view. The dispersed spectra are read out by an array of 11 X-ray CMOS detectors that form a 97-megapixel focal-plane camera. tREXS was launched for the first time in September, 2022 to observe the Cygnus Loop supernova remnant. Though a failure in the rail pumping system led to a non-detection of emission from the Cygnus Loop during the flight, the rest of the instrument performed nominally and was recovered successfully. We present here an update on the instrument, results from the first flight, and a discussion of the future outlook.
This conference presentation was prepared for the conference on Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2022: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray, part of SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2022.
The Rockets for Extended-source X-ray Spectroscopy (tREXS) are a funded series of sounding rocket instruments to detect diffuse soft X-ray emission from astrophysical sources. The first launch of tREXS is scheduled for Q4 2021, with a goal to observe the Cygnus Loop supernova remnant. tREXS house a four-channel grating spectrometer that uses passive, mechanical focusers, arrays of reflection gratings, and an extended focal plane based around Teledyne CIS 113 CMOS sensors. We present here an update on the instrument design, build, and calibrations in advance of the launch later this year.
The Rocket for Extended-Source X-ray Spectroscopy (tREXS) is a suborbital rocket payload that is designed to obtain the most highly resolved soft X-ray emission spectrum from the Cygnus Loop to date. This research will discuss the development and implementation of a guidance system that will replace the traditional pointing mechanism for a sub-orbital payload. Normally the pointing requirement for a sub-orbital flight is achieved using a NSROC altitude control system, which uses an ST5000 star tracker co-aligned with the X-ray optic. In tREXS design there is not space to use this star tracker; therefore, a design has been made that utilizes a side looking ST5000 to acquire the target field and an aspect camera for fine pointing. The aspect camera will stream frames of the target star field, that will be processed by the guidance algorithm. The algorithm will relay where to position the payload to target the Cygnus Loop.
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