Mass manufacturing of high resolution and lightweight monocrystalline silicon x-ray mirror modules

Astronomical observations of distant and faint X-ray sources will expand our understanding of the evolving universe. These challenging science goals require X-ray optical elements that are manufactured, measured, coated, aligned, assembled, and tested at scale. The Next Generation X-ray Optics (NGXO) group at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is developing solutions to the challenges faced in planning, constructing, and integrating X-ray optics for future telescopes such as the Lynx Large Mission concept for the Astro2020 Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics, Probe Mission concepts AXIS, TAP, and HEX-P, the Explorer Mission concepts STAR-X and FORCE and the sub-orbital mission OGRE. The lightweight mirror segments, efficiently manufactured from blocks of commercially available monocrystalline silicon, are coated, aligned, and fixed in modular form. This paper discusses our first attempt to encapsulate our technology experience and knowledge into a model to meet the challenge of engineering and production of the many modules required for a spaceflight mission. Through parallel lines of fabrication, assembly, and testing, as well as the use of existing high throughput industrial technologies, ∼104 coated X-ray mirror segments can be integrated into ∼103 modules adhering to a set budget and schedule that survive environmental testing and approach the diffraction limit.