The European Space Agency (ESA) is developing the NewAthena observatory, with contributions from various Spanish and international centers, including the Cantabria Institute of Physics (IFCA) and the Institute of Space Sciences (ICE-CSIC).
Currently in the study phase, the mission is expected to be officially adopted in early 2027, with a launch planned for 2037 aboard an Ariane rocket.
A team of researchers from both CSIC centers presented new mission details in a paper published in Nature Astronomy. Francisco Carrera from IFCA and Nanda Rea from ICE-CSIC outlined the observatory's framework and the technical capabilities of its instruments.
NewAthena aims to revolutionize X-ray spectroscopy and mapping, enabling unprecedented observations of cosmic phenomena, which will address fundamental questions in modern astrophysics, according to Carrera.
The mission will enhance X-ray studies in the cosmos and advance multi-messenger astrophysics, a field that integrates data from light, gravitational waves, and neutrinos to investigate extreme cosmic events.
This technology will deepen understanding of topics such as the impact of stars on planetary habitability, the equations governing matter in neutron stars, the production and distribution of metals in the cosmos, the mechanisms behind the cosmological evolution of baryons trapped in dark matter concentrations, and the effects of supermassive black holes on galactic evolution, Rea added.
NewAthena is the result of decades of collaboration among international agencies, including ESA, NASA, and Japan's JAXA, along with scientific and technical institutions worldwide. This joint effort promises to usher in a new era in astronomical observation, establishing NewAthena as a key reference in the next generation of space missions, according to Silvia Martínez, manager of the Athena Community Office (ACO).