NASA and JAXA Resolve to Continue XRISM Operations Despite Instrument Issue

NASA and the Japanese Space Agency JAXA are forging ahead with plans to prolong the operation of an instrument aboard the X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM), despite encountering an issue affecting one of its instruments.

XRISM, launched in September 2023, represents a collaborative effort between JAXA and NASA, aimed at advancing X-ray astronomy. Despite a successful launch and the initiation of its prime science mission, XRISM faced a setback in January when scientists noted a malfunction with the aperture door, also known as the gate valve, for the Dewar on its imaging instrument, Resolve.

While the door, composed of beryllium, failed to open as intended, Resolve remains operational, albeit with some attenuation of X-rays at lower energies due to the closed door. Efforts to rectify the issue have been suspended for the next 18 months. Despite this setback, XRISM continues to yield valuable scientific data.

"We believe that the best approach is to spend the next 18 months collecting science data with this mission before another attempt is made to try to dislodge the gate valve,"- Mark Clampin, Director of NASA’s Astrophysics Division

The root cause of the malfunction appears to be a snag on a harness attached to one of the non-explosive actuators intended to move the valve. Compounded by the challenges of maneuvering in cryogenic temperatures, resolving the issue requires delicate adjustments.

Proposed solutions involve managing temperatures within the instrument and introducing perturbations to dislodge the harness.