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Scheduled to launch in late 2021 the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) is a Small Explorer Mission designed to open up a new window of investigation -- X-ray polarimetry. The IXPE observatory features 3 identical telescope each consisting of a mirror module assembly with a polarization-sensitive imaging x-ray detector at its focus. An extending beam, deployed on orbit provides the necessary 4 m focal length. The payload sits atop a 3-axis stabilized spacecraft which among other things provides power, attitude determination and control, commanding, and telemetry to the ground. During its 2-year baseline mission, IXPE will conduct precise polarimetry for samples of multiple categories of x-ray sources, with follow-on observations of selected targets. IXPE is a partnership between NASA and the Italian Space Agency (ASI).

The use of large-area, “ne-pitch Silicon detectors has demonstrated the feasibility of wide “eld imaging experi-ments requesting very low resources in terms of weight, volume, power and costs. The ”ying SuperAGILE instru-ment is the “rst such experiment, adopting large-area Silicon microstrip detectors coupled to one-dimensionalcoded masks. With less than 10 kg, 12 watt and 0.04 m 3 it provides 6-arcmin angular resolution over > 1 sr “eldof view. Due to odd operational conditions, SuperAGILE works in the unfavourable energy range 18 60 keV. Inthis paper we show that the use of innovative large-area Silicon Drift Detectors allows to design experiments witharcmin-imaging performance over steradian-wide “elds of view, in the energy range 2 50 keV, with spectroscopicresolution in the range of 300 570 eV (FWHM) at room temperature. We will show the concept, design andreadiness of such an experiment, supported by laboratory tests on large-area prototypes. We will quantify theexpected performance in potential applications on X-ray astronomy missions for the observation and long-termmonitoring of Galactic and extragalactic transient and persistent sources, as well as localization and “ne studyof the prompt emission of Gamma-Ray Bursts in soft X-rays.Keywords: Instrumentation:detectors „ X-rays:general

The AGILE Mission will explore the gamma-ray Universe with a very innovative instrument combining for the first time a gamma-ray imager (sensitive in the range 30 MeV - 50 GeV) and a hard X-ray imager (sensitive in the range 15-45 keV). An optimal angular resolution and a large field of view are obtained by the use of state-of-the-art Silicon detectors integrated in a very compact instrument. AGILE will be operational at the beginning of 2007 and it will provide crucial data for the study of Active Galactic Nuclei, Gamma-Ray Bursts, unidentified gamma-ray sources, Galactic compact objects, supernova remnants, TeV sources, and fundamental physics by microsecond timing.

LOFT (Large Observatory For x-ray Timing) is one of the ESA M3 missions selected within the Cosmic Vision program in 2011 to carry out an assessment phase study and compete for a launch opportunity in 2022-2024. The phase-A studies of all M3 missions were completed at the end of 2013. LOFT is designed to carry on-board two instruments with sensitivity in the 2-50 keV range: a 10 m2 class Large Area Detector (LAD) with a

LOFT (Large Observatory For x-ray Timing) is one of the four missions selected in 2011 for assessment study for the ESA M3 mission in the Cosmic Vision program, expected to be launched in 2024. The LOFT mission will carry two instruments with their prime sensitivity in the 2-30 keV range: a 10 m^2 class large area detector (LAD) with a, Proceedings of SPIE, Vol. 8443, Paper No. 8443-88

The SuperAGILE experiment is the hard X-ray monitor of the AGILE mission. It is a 2 x one-dimensional imager, with 6-arcmin angular resolution in the energy range 18 - 60 keV and a field of view in excess of 1 steradian. SuperAGILE is successfully operating in orbit since Summer 2007, providing long-term monitoring of bright sources and prompt detection and localization of gamma-ray bursts. Starting on October 2009 the AGILE mission lost its reaction wheel and the satellite attitude is no longer stabilized. The current mode of operation of the AGILE satellite is a Spinning Mode, around the Sun-pointing direction, with an angular velocity of about 0.8 degree/s (corresponding to 8 times the SuperAGILE point spread function every second). In these new conditions, SuperAGILE continuously scans a much larger fraction of the sky, with much smaller exposure to each region. In this paper we review some of the results of the first 2.5 years of "standard" operation of SuperAGILE, and show how new implementations in the data analysis software allows to continue the hard X-ray sky monitoring by SuperAGILE also in the new attitude conditions.

In the context of the design of wide-field of view experiments for X-ray astronomy, we studied the response to X-rays in the range between 2 and 60 keV of a large area Silicon Drift Chamber originally designed for particle tracking in high energy physics. We demonstrated excellent imaging and spectroscopy performance of monolithic 53 cm 2 detectors, with position resolution as good as 30 μm and energy resolution in the range 300-570 eV FWHM obtainable at room temperature (20 °C). In this paper we show the results of test campaigns at the X-ray facility at INAF/IASF Rome, aimed at characterizing the detector performance by scanning the detector area with highly collimated spots of monochromatic X-rays. In these tests we used a detector prototype equipped with discrete read-out front-end electronics.

SuperAGILE (SA) is the hard X-ray monitor of the AGILE small satellite mission, launched on 23rd April 2007. The monitor is based on four one-dimensional coded-mask detectors. In spite of the compactness (45×45×15 cm3) and lightness (5 kg), the experiment has high angular resolution (6 arcmin) and point source location accuracy (

The SuperAGILE experiment was launched on April 2007 onboard the Italian gamma-ray mission AGILE. With a field of view of approximately one steradian and an angular resolution of 6 arcmin, SuperAGILE is imaging the X-ray sky in two one-dimensional projections in the 18-60 keV energy range. After a ~2-month Commissioning Phase, SuperAGILE was set in its nominal configuration at the beginning of Science Verification Phase in July 2007 and it is observing the X-ray sky since then. In this paper we describe the in-orbit operations, the commissioning, science verification and inflight calibration phases, and provide a brief summary of the scientific observations carried out until June 2008.

The Italian small satellite mission AGILE has been launched the 23rd of April 2007. SuperAGILE is the solidstate hard X-ray imager of the mission. It is a coded-mask imager, with six arcmin angular resolution, a field of view in excess of 1 steradian, and a gross energy resolution. Ground calibration campaigns have been performed in the last year to optimize the detector response, for the energy calibration, to obtain the effective area at various angles for various energy bands, to study location accuracy and angular resolution. In this paper we report the preliminary results achieved. The AGILE satellite has just finished the first and larger part of its commissioning phase. SuperAGILE successfully passed the commissioning tests, and it is now in its final configuration. It is observing the X-ray sky since the end of June as a part of the Science Verification Phase. The in-flight calibrations has been started and will ended at the end of October. We show the first data obtained with the instrument in the first months of observations.

The Flight Model of the SuperAGILE experiment was calibrated on-ground using an X-ray generator and individual radioactive sources at IASF Rome on August 2005. Here we describe the set-up, the measurements and the preliminary results of the calibration session carried out with the X-ray generator. The calibration with omnidirectional radioactive sources are reported elsewhere. The beam was collimated using a two slits system in order to reach a rectangular spot at the detector approximately 1800 μm × 100 μm in size. The long dimension was aligned with the detector strip, so that the short dimension could fall within one single detector strip (121 μm wide). The detector was then slowly moved continuously such that the beam effectively scanned along the coding direction. This measurement was done both at detection plane level (i.e., without collimator and mask) to characterize the detector response, and at experiment level (i.e., with collimator, mask and digital electronics), to study the imaging response. Aim of this calibration is the measurement of the imaging response at 0, 10 and 20 degrees off-axis, with a parallel beam, although spatially limited to a ~2 mm long section of the coded mask.

SuperAGILE is the hard X-ray (15-45 keV) imager for the gamma-ray mission AGILE, currently scheduled for launch in early 2007. It is based on 4 Si-microstrip detectors, with a total geometric area of 1444 cm2 (max effective area 230 cm2), equipped with 4 one-dimensional coded masks. The 4 detectors are perpendicularly oriented, in order to provide pairs of orthogonal one-dimensional images of the X-ray sky. The field of view of each 1-D detector is 107° x 68°, at zero response, with an overlap in the central 68° x 68° area. The angular resolution on axis is 6 arcmin. We present here the current status of the hardware development and the scientific perspective.© (2006) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

The Flight model of SuperAGILE experiment was calibrated on-ground on August 2005 at IASF-Rome laboratories using standard radioactive X-rays sources. These omnidirectional sources were positioned at approximately 2 meters distance from the experiment. A method to correct for the beam divergence has been developed in order to use these measurements to derive information about the point spread function of the experiment for infinite distance sources. In this paper we describe the set-up of the measurements, the method to correct for the beam divergence and show preliminary results of the data analysis.

In this paper we describe the instrumentation and the software tools we developed to test the SuperAGILE Front-End Electronics (SAFEE) and Interface Electronics (SAIE). The SAFEE is based on twelve XAA1.2 ASICs (produced by IDE-AS). The Test Equipment hardware is composed of commercial VME modules and laboratory developed boards. Commercial VME boards were used for data acquisition and SAFEE handling. Laboratory developed boards provide signal conditioning, pulse generation, trigger system and timing. The VME based architecture assured a stable system for a period of years and a very high acquisition rate. The choice of 'laboratory-developed' boards allowed an easy and cost effective continuous improvement of the system. Two Linux running PC were used, one for the "System Control" and data acquisition, the other one for data reduction and archiving. The s/w for DAQ, data-reduction, and analysis also was laboratory-developed and based on well-known tools.

The AGILE gamma-ray mission is in its Phase C-D. The Engineering model of the Payload has been built and tested, and the construction of the flight model has started. We present here the status of the SuperAGILE experiment, the 15-40 keV imaging monitor, based on Silicon microstrip technology and equipped with one dimensional coded masks. We show the design of the experiment and the results of testing campaigns carried out on the engineering model of the experiment.