List of X-ray space telescopes is a listing of "telescopes" in outer space that can observe
X-ray wavelengths.
X-rays mirrors can be built, but only if the angle from the plane of reflection is very
low (typically 10 arc-minutes to 2 degrees).
These are called glancing (or grazing) incidence mirrors.
In 1952, Hans Wolter outlined three ways a telescope could be built using only this kind
of mirror.
== Space-borne observatories and instruments ==
This list contains space-borne observatories as well as X-ray instruments as part of a
larger mission, both past, present and in the proposal stage.
Ariel 5 (launched 1974) Ariel 6 (launched 1979)
ASCA (Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics, launched 1993)
ATHENA (Advanced Telescope for High Energy Astrophysics, under development by ESA)
AGILE (Astro‐Rivelatore Gamma a Immagini Leggero, launched 2007)
Apollo Telescope Mount (part of Skylab, operated 1973-1974)
Arcus (NASA proposal) ALEXIS (Array of Low Energy X-ray Imaging
Sensors, launched 1993) ANS (Astronomical Netherlands Satellite, launched
1974) Astrosat (launched 2015)
BeppoSAX (launched 1996) BBXRT (Broad Band X-ray Telescope , launched
1990) Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (launched 1991,
detection range extended to hard X-rays) CXO (Chandra X-ray Observatory , launched
1999) Constellation-X Observatory (proposed in 2008)
Copernicus (Orbiting Astronomical Observatory 3, OAO-3, launched 1972)
Cos-B (launched 1975) DXS (Diffuse X-ray Spectrometer, launched
1993) Einstein Observatory (originally HEAO-2, launched
1978) EXOSAT (European X-ray Observatory Satellite
, launched 1983) Fermi (launched 2008)
Ginga (launched 1987) Granat (International Astrophysical Observatory
"GRANAT", launched 1989) Gravity and Extreme Magnetism (proposal, cancelled
in 2012) Hakucho (launched 1979)
Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (launched 2017)
HEAO-1 (High Energy Astronomy Observatory 1, launched 1977)
HEAO 3 (High Energy Astronomy Observatory 3, launched 1979)
High Energy Transient Explorer (launched 1996) Hinode (launched 2006)
Hinotori (originally ASTRO-A, launched 1981) Hitomi (originally ASTRO-H, launched 2016)
IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer, under development)
INTEGRAL (INTErnational Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory, launched 2002)
International X-ray Observatory (proposal, cancelled in 2012)
LOFT (Large Observatory for X-ray Timing, proposal)
MAXI (Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image, launched 2009)
Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory (launched 2004, originally Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Mission (renamed
in 2018)) NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer,
launched 2017) NuSTAR (Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array,
launched 2012) OAO-1 (Orbiting Astronomical Observatory 1,
launched 1966) ORBIS (Orbiting Binary Black Hole Investigation
Satellite, under development) OSO 7 (Orbiting Solar Observatory 7, launched
1971) OSO 8 (Orbiting Solar Observatory 8, launched
1975) RHESSI (Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic
Imager, launched 2002) ROSAT (Röntgensatellit, launched 1990)
RXTE (Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer, launched 1995)
SAS-3 (Small Astronomy Satellite 3, launched 1975)
SVOM (Space Variable Objects Monitor, proposal) Spektr-RG (includes MOXE X-ray all-sky monitor,
under development) Suzaku (launched 2005)
Tenma (launched 1983) Uhuru (launched 1970)
Vela (launched 1963 onwards) XRISM (X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission,
under development) XEUS (X-ray Evolving Universe Spectroscopy,
proposal, now part of the ATHENA proposal) XMM-Newton ('X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission, launched
1999) Yohkoh (launched 1991)
== High-altitude atmospheric observatories and instruments ==
Sometimes X-Ray observations are made from a near-space environment on sounding rockets
or high-altitude balloons.
Normal Incidence X-ray Telescope (series of sounding rocket payloads, flown in the late
1980s and 1990s)Multi-spectral solar telescope array (MSSTA) (series of sounding rocket payloads,
flown in the 1990s and early 2000s)Polarised Gamma-ray Observer (PoGOLite) (balloon-borne
astroparticle physics experiment, flown 2011-2013)
== See also == Calorimetric Electron Telescope (telescope
type) Cosmic-ray observatory (mission type)
Phase-contrast X-ray imaging (general term) Wolter telescope (telescope type)
X-ray astronomy satellite (mission type) X-ray spectroscopy (general term)
== References ==
== External links == Comparison with of X-ray satellites
Comparison of XMM-Newton EPIC, Chandra ACIS-S3, ASCA SIS and GIS, and ROSAT PSPC Results for
G21.5-0.9, 1E0102.2-7219, and MS1-54.4-0321