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LXO/MagEX: UK Project Status
Leicester University
Space Research Centre
X-ray and Observational
Radio and Space Plasma
(SRC)
Astronomy (XROA)
Physics (RSPP)
Leicester University
Prof. George Fraser
Dr. Steven Sembay
Prof. Mark Lester
Head of SRC
Co-I on XMM/EPIC
SW/Mag.sph. Interactions
Dr. Emma Bunce
Dr. Andrew Read
Planetary magnetospheres
Chairman of EPIC BGWG
Jennifer Carter
EPIC BGWG / PhD
LXO/MagEX Meeting
Greenbelt, 24/10/07
MagEX: Magnetosheath Explorer in X-rays
Gained support of XROA/SRC group
Presented MagEX at several conferences and meetings
Created informational website (http://www.src.le.ac.uk/projects/magex)
Developing a telescope simulator
Using Satellite Toolkit (STK) to inform fov constraints
Put out press release for public outreach
Applied to STFC for funding to support feasibility study
LXO/MagEX Meeting
Greenbelt, 24/10/07
MagEX in UK Context
Executive Summary
“The UK Space Exploration
Working Group recommends that
the United Kingdom takes
maximum advantage of the unique
opportunities presented by the
Global Exploration Strategy. It
should play a full and active role in
these programmes and the
endeavours that will define space
exploration in this century.”
LXO/MagEX Meeting
Greenbelt, 24/10/07
MagEX in UK Context
“Another benefit from a lunar perspective will be the ability to take
images of the Earth’s magnetosphere (the region of near-Earth space
dominated by the planetary magnetic field) and magnetosheath (the
region surrounding the magnetosphere where the solar wind is heated
by its encounter with the magnetosphere). This region extends to
distances of about 100 000-150 000 km from the Earth. Its observation
requires a view from a slightly greater distance; the Moon at 400 000
km from Earth is thus ideal.”
“A prototype system for X-ray observations is being developed by
the University of Leicester, together with NASA Goddard.”
Page 22
LXO/MagEX Meeting
Greenbelt, 24/10/07
MagEX in UK Context
JOINT STATEMENT FOR INTENT
FOR COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF SPACE EXPLORATION
BY THE
UNITED STATES NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
AND THE
BRITISH NATIONAL SPACE CENTRE
19 April 2007
Dr. Michael D. Griffin
Sir Keith O’Nions
Administrator
Director General
NASA
Science and Innovation
Department of Trade and Industry
LXO/MagEX Meeting
Greenbelt, 24/10/07
Conferences and Meetings
•Bremen, Nov 2006
Steve
“Towards a European Infrastructure for Lunar Observatories II”
Sponsored by EADS/ASTRON
•Bremen, March 2007
Steve
“To Moon and Beyond”
DGLR International Symposium
•National Astronomy Meeting, April 2007
Jenny
•NASA/BNSC Meeting, September 2007
Mark Sims
•Open University, September 2007
Andy
“Exploration of the Moon: A UK Perspective”
•Royal Astronomical Society, December 2007
Steve
“Astronomy from the Moon”
LXO/MagEX Meeting
Greenbelt, 24/10/07
Project Research and Development (PRD) application to
Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
4 Application deadlines per year….
19th of January, April, July, October
Panel meets ~ 1.5 months after deadline, so expect to hear
early December. …reasonably confident of positive outcome
Have asked for a total of 12.5 Staff Months effort split over
several work packages (next page)
Current effort is borrowed time from the EPIC project
I have an offer of some support money from our Departmental
Future Projects fund if the PRD bid is turned down or reduced
LXO/MagEX Meeting
Greenbelt, 24/10/07
Project Research and Development (PRD) application to
Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Participant
Role and Responsibility
Funding Request
(sm)
1.0
S. Sembay
Project Manager.
PDRA
Develop the telescope simulator
3.0
Detector Engineer Provide technical information pertaining to detector
design in the form of mass, power and data
handling constraints.
3.0
Optical Engineer
1.0
Provide technical information on optic design
Thermal Engineer Provide technical support for thermal studies of the
telescope and electronics within the lunar
environment.
2.0
Draughtsman
1.0
Provide technical drawings of telescope and
subsystems
IT Support/Grant Admin/Secretarial
LXO/MagEX Meeting
Greenbelt, 24/10/07
1.5
Total
12.5
How have we pitched LXO/MagEX in our PRD proposal?
We have concentrated (almost exclusively) on the study of SWCX
from the solar wind and magnetosheath as the primary science
goal….hence “MagEX”
The science is unique, interesting and solar-system centric
The geometrical argument (size of the region and distance of the
Moon etc) is a pretty decent answer to “why the Moon?”
LXO/MagEX Meeting
Greenbelt, 24/10/07
We should/will develop a telescope that can produce
images like these….
LXO/MagEX Meeting
Greenbelt, 24/10/07
Telescope Baseline Configuration:
• Imaging Capability (Micropore Optic)
• Telescope Field of View ~ 30° x 30°
• Angular Resolution ~ 1.5 arcminutes
• Detector Pixel Size ~ 100 to 200 μm
• Detector Energy Range ~ 0.2 to 2.0 keV
• Detector Resolution ~ 50 eV FWHM @ 600 eV
• Detector Geometric Area ~ 13 cm x 13 cm
• Total Instrument Mass ~ 20 – 40 kg
• Instrument Power ~ 20W operational, 2W standby
LXO/MagEX Meeting
Greenbelt, 24/10/07