X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission

The X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM, pronounced 'crism' or 'krizz-em', as if the X was a <a href="/facts/Chi_(letter)/pj4UT8Pf">chi</a>), is an <a href="/facts/X-ray/wseP79cN">X-ray</a> <a href="/facts/Space_telescope/BtI46sDX">space telescope</a>. It is a mission of the <a href="/facts/Japan_Aerospace_Exploration_Agency/ofUpflgf">Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency</a> (JAXA) in partnership with <a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a> and <a href="/facts/European_Space_Agency/L8YRNV0C">ESA</a>, intended to study <a href="/facts/Galaxy_cluster/BhIEgbx8">galaxy clusters</a>, outflows from <a href="/facts/Galaxy/zCyUvEf7">galaxy nuclei</a>, and <a href="/facts/Dark_matter/y5HgX55N">dark matter</a>.
XRISM is a next generation <a href="/facts/X-ray_astronomy/KAQ6WxgQ">X-ray astronomy</a> spacecraft, succeeding the <a href="/facts/Chandra_X-ray_Observatory/zU89xG3a">Chandra X-ray Observatory</a> and <a href="/facts/XMM-Newton/rXRB4WRM">XMM-Newton</a>. XRISM is intended to fill a gap in observational capabilities between the anticipated retirement of those older X-ray telescopes and the future launch of the planned <a href="/facts/Advanced_Telescope_for_High_Energy_Astrophysics/J8F9vzo7">Advanced Telescope for High Energy Astrophysics</a> (ATHENA). The <a href="/facts/Hitomi_(satellite)/7G6gldt1">Hitomi</a> X-ray telescope was intended to fill that gap, but destroyed itself a few weeks after launch in 2016. XRISM replaces Hitomi's role of filling the expected observational gap.
During its early design phase, XRISM was known as the "ASTRO-H Successor" or "ASTRO-H2". After the loss of Hitomi, the name X-ray Astronomy Recovery Mission (XARM) was used, the R in the acronym referring to recovering Hitomi's capabilities. The name was changed to XRISM in 2018 when JAXA formally initiated the project team.

X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission open-in-new

X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission