Christine Thropp
Jacobs has conducted engineering, manufacturing and testing efforts in support of the assemblies equipped on a new NASA telescope for collecting X-rays of neutron stars, stellar and supermassive black holes and other objects.
The company said Monday it supplied components of the Mirror Module Assemblies that the space agency’s Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer uses to gather electromagnetic waves and direct them to the sensors.
Jacobs’ system engineering, optics, thermal and dynamics and stress subteams under its space exploration group contributed to the X-ray optics hardware development initiative. The company was also responsible for the final assembly, integration and test efforts for the MMAs.
According to Jacobs, it supported the development of the Science Operation Center, which will host the ground operations of IXPE.
IXPE was sent to space on Dec. 9 to study light’s polarization state from astrophysical sources. It seeks to provide a better understanding of space objects’ X-ray production.
