Unveiling the secrets of the hot and energetic Universe

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The X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU)

The X-IFU is a revolutionary X-ray spectrometer, one of the two instruments of the European Space Agency’s future space telescope, NewAthena. It will observe with X-ray eyes, the hot and energetic Universe, a world of clusters of galaxies, black holes, and exploding stars.

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Find out about this revolutionary instrument of ESA’s NewAthena mission

Latest News

Successful coupling of the X-IFU Warm Front-End Electronics demonstrator at SRON

A major milestone has been reached beginning of October 2025 in the development of the Warm Front-End Electronics (WFEE) for […]

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The first test of the Cryogenic AntiCoincidence detector (CryoAC) inside the X-IFU Demonstration Model 1.1 has been successfully completed

Image above : The CryoAC demonstration prototype integrated in the detectors flange of the Focal Plane Assembly Demonstration Model 1.1. […]

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Assembly of Demonstration Model for X-IFU’s camera is now complete

SRON is responsible for building the camera for the X-IFU imaging spectrometer onboard the NewAthena X-ray space telescope. A latest […]

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People of X-IFU

"By improving spectral and angular resolutions, with such a large effective area, NewAthena X-IFU will represent a major step for X-ray astronomy."

Jiri Svoboda

Astronomer at the Astronomic Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences

"Every major leap in our observing capabilities in the past has led to unexpected discoveries, and I hope nature will not fail to surprise us also this time around."

Aurora Simionescu

Co-PI & Research Scientist at SRON, Netherlands

"Once NewAthena X-IFU will be launched, observation of the sky will be taken to a whole new level. The instrument should be able to reveal the origin of the universe!"

Teresa Mineo

Physicist at INAF, Italy

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