Flight camera package design, calibration, and performance for the Water Recovery X-ray Rocket mission

Mitchell Wages, Samuel V. Hull, Abraham D. Falcone, Tyler B. Anderson, Maria McQuaide, Evan Bray, Tanmoy Chattopadhyay, David N. Burrows, Lazar Buntic, Randall L. McEntaffer, Drew M. Miles, James H. Tutt, Ted B. Schultz, Benjamin D. Donovan, Christopher R. Hillman, Daniel Yastishock

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Water Recovery X-ray Rocket (WRXR) mission was a sounding rocket flight that targeted the northern part of the Vela supernova remnant with a camera designed to image the diffracted X-rays using a grating spectrometer optimized for OVII, OVIII, and CVI emissions. The readout camera for WRXR utilized a silicon hybrid CMOS detector (HCD) with an active area of 36.9 ï' 36.9 mm. A modified H2RG X-ray HCD, with 1024 ï' 1024 active silicon pixels bonded to the H2RG read-out integrated circuit, was selected for this mission based on its characteristics, technology maturation, and ease of implementation into the existing payload. This required a new camera package for the HCD to be designed, built, calibrated, and operated. This detector and camera system were successfully operated in-flight and its characteristics were demonstrated using the on-board calibration X-ray source. In this paper, a detailed description of this process, from design concept to flight performance, will be given. A full integrated instrument calibration will also be discussed, as well as the temperature dependency measurements of gain variation, read noise, and energy resolution for the HCD.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationUV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Space Instrumentation for Astronomy XXI
EditorsOswald H. Siegmund
PublisherSPIE
ISBN (Electronic)9781510629295
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2019
EventUV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Space Instrumentation for Astronomy XXI 2019 - San Diego, United States
Duration: Aug 11 2019Aug 13 2019

Publication series

NameProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume11118
ISSN (Print)0277-786X
ISSN (Electronic)1996-756X

Conference

ConferenceUV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Space Instrumentation for Astronomy XXI 2019
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySan Diego
Period8/11/198/13/19

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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