X-ray
Further information: X-ray astronomyX-ray telescopes measure high-energy photons called X-rays. These can not travel a long distance through the atmosphere, meaning that they can only be observed high in the atmosphere or in space. Several types of astrophysical objects emit X-rays, from galaxy clusters, through black holes in active galactic nuclei to galactic objects such as supernova remnants, stars, and binary stars containing a white dwarf (cataclysmic variable stars), neutron star or black hole (X-ray binaries). Some solar system bodies emit X-rays, the most notable being the Moon, although most of the X-ray brightness of the Moon arises from reflected solar X-rays. A combination of many unresolved X-ray sources is thought to produce the observed X-ray background.
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The Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics
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An artist's impression of BeppoSAX
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The Einstein Observatory (HEAO 2)
| Name | Space Agency | Launch Date | Terminated | Location | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO 1) | NASA | 12 August 1977 | 9 January 1979 | Earth orbit (445 km) | |
| 3rd High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO 3) | NASA | 20 September 1979 | 29 May 1981 | Earth orbit (486.4–504.9 km) | |
| A Broadband Imaging X-ray All-sky Survey (ABRIXAS) | DLR | 28 April 1999 | 1 July 1999 | Earth orbit (549–598 km) | |
| Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics (ASCA) | ISAS & NASA | 20 February 1993 | 2 March 2001 | Earth orbit (523.6–615.3 km) | |
| AGILE | ISA | 23 April 2007 | — | Earth orbit (524–553 km) | |
| Ariel V | SRC & NASA | 15 October 1974 | 14 March 1980 | Earth orbit (520 km) | |
| Array of Low Energy X-ray Imaging Sensors (Alexis) | LANL | 25 April 1993 | 2005 | Earth orbit (749–844 km) | |
| Aryabhata | ISRO | 19 April 1975 | 23 April 1975 | Earth orbit (563–619 km) | |
| Astron | IKI | 23 March 1983 | June 1989 | Earth orbit (2,000—200,000 km) | |
| Astronomical Netherlands Satellite (ANS) | SRON | 30 August 1974 | June 1976 | Earth orbit (266–1176 km) | |
| BeppoSAX | ASI | 30 April 1996 | 30 April 2002 | Earth orbit (575–594 km) | |
| Broad Band X-ray Telescope / Astro 1 | NASA | 2 December 1990 | 11 December 1990 | Earth orbit (500 km) | |
| Chandra X-ray Observatory | NASA | 23 July 1999 | — | Earth orbit (9,942–140,000 km) | |
| Cos-B | ESA | 9 August 1975 | 25 April 1982 | Earth orbit (339.6–99,876 km) | |
| Cosmic Radiation Satellite (CORSA) | ISAS | 6 February 1976 | 6 February 1976 | Failed launch | |
| Einstein Observatory (HEAO 2) | NASA | 13 November 1978 | 26 April 1981 | Earth orbit (465–476 km) | |
| EXOSAT | ESA | 26 May 1983 | 8 April 1986 | Earth orbit (347–191,709 km) | |
| Ginga (Astro-C) | ISAS | 5 February 1987 | 1 November 1991 | Earth orbit (517–708 km) | |
| Granat | CNRS & IKI | 1 December 1989 | 25 May 1999 | Earth orbit (2,000–200,000 km) | |
| Hakucho | ISAS | 21 February 1979 | 16 April 1985 | Earth orbit (421–433 km) | |
| High Energy Transient Explorer 2 (HETE 2) | NASA | 9 October 2000 | — | Earth orbit (590–650 km) | |
| International Gamma Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL) | ESA | 17 October 2002 | — | Earth orbit (639–153,000 km) | |
| Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) | NASA | 13 June 2012 | — | Earth orbit (603.5 km) | |
| ROSAT | NASA & DLR | 1 June 1990 | 12 February 1999 | Re-entry 23 October 2011. Formerly Earth orbit (580 km) |
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| Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) | NASA | 30 December 1995 | 3 January 2012 | Earth orbit (409 km) | |
| Suzaku (ASTRO-E2) | JAXA & NASA | 10 July 2005 | — | Earth orbit (550 km) | |
| Swift Gamma Ray Burst Explorer | NASA | 20 November 2004 | — | Earth orbit (585–604 km) | |
| Tenma | ISAS | 20 February 1983 | 19 January 1989 | Earth orbit (489–503 km) | |
| Third Small Astronomy Satellite (SAS-C) | NASA | 7 May 1975 | April 1979 | Earth orbit (509–516 km) | |
| Uhuru | NASA | 12 December 1970 | March 1973 | Earth orbit (531–572 km) | |
| XMM-Newton | ESA | 10 December 1999 | — | Earth orbit (7,365–114,000 km) |
Read more about this topic: List Of Space Telescopes