Off-plane grating spectrometer for the International X-ray Observatory

A dispersive spectrometer onboard the International X-ray Observatory (IXO) provides a method for high throughput and high spectral resolution at X-ray energies below 1 keV. An off-plane reflection grating array maximizes these capabilities. We present here a mature mechanical design that places the grating array on the spacecraft avionics bus 13.5 m away from the focal plane. In addition, we present the technology development plan for advancing the Technology Readiness Level to 6 for the Off-Plane X-ray Grating Spectrometer.

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