14 DAY TRIAL // Astronomers at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPI-EP), in Germany, are now rejoicing after the European Space Agency (ESA) decided to select their proposal, called Athena+, as the second Large-class mission in space agency's Cosmic Vision science program.
What this means is that a massive X-ray space telescope will be developed and launched in orbit by 2028. Beyond what data the observatory will produce, the reason why this selection is so important is because no other X-ray space telescopes are scheduled to launch into space anytime soon.
This means that Athena+ will be covering a large gap in high-energy astrophysics, enabling scientists to continue researching the Universe at X-ray and gamma-ray wavelengths. The telescope will investigate black hole formation and growth patterns, as well as the formation of galaxies and clusters.
According to the concept proposal, the telescope would be lighter and bigger than XMM-Newton, measuring up to 12 meters (39.4 feet) in length. If approved, Athena+ will have to fit into the payload fairing of an Atlas V delivery system, the largest rocket ESA has access to.