Astrophysics Probe Explorer_Sources Sought_2022_ AXIS

Current planning calls for NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) to release an Astrophysics Probe Explorer (APEX) Announcement of Opportunity (AO) with a cost cap of $1B (FY23$) in 2023 summer to solicit proposals to accomplish the 2020 Decadal Survey science objectives. Following the 2020 Decadal Survey recommendation, responses to the APEX AO will be limited to one of two mission themes: 1) A far-infrared imaging or spectroscopy mission or 2) An X-ray probe. In partnership with the Principal Investigator (PI)-led team, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is developing a mission concept to be proposed for this AO, which uses X-ray observations that have been proven crucial for advancing major areas of astrophysics. The mission concept, AXIS (Advanced X-ray Imaging Satellite), expands on the last 40 years of space-based X-ray observations. Harnessing key advances in X-ray optics and detector technology, AXIS will be a major improvement over the Chandra X-ray Observatory, with a superior field-of-view averaged spatial resolution, a larger field of view, an order of magnitude more collecting area, and more flexible mission operations allowing Swift-like transient science. AXIS will significantly improve our understanding of the growth and fueling of supermassive black holes, galaxy formation and evolution, the microphysics of cosmic plasmas, and the time-varying universe. AXIS is a single-instrument mission (as illustrated in Figure 1), which will be designed in cooperation with industrial partners and managed by GSFC. AXIS will build on the heritage of X-ray missions, including Chandra, Swift, and Suzaku. It will utilize well-developed CCD detector technologies and state-of-the-art monocrystalline silicon optics. The proposed instrument volume is approximately 11 m (L) x 1.8 m (D), not including the spacecraft wrapped around the instrument. The aperture assembly is an approximately 1.0 m (L) x 1.7 m (D) cylinder, with the telescope tube tapering to 0.7 m (D) at the focal plane. For NASA GSFC to meet its expressed objective with this RFI, the following information is requested in addition to other information that the responder considers necessary: - Concept and design: System configuration (with dimensioned drawing), design and operating principles, high-level design diagrams, system and element description including both hardware (HW) and software (SW), and system performance - Technical Resources: Mass, power, data, volume, etc. for the metrology system and its elements - Assumptions/Constraints: Any assumptions/constraints for metrology (e.g., mass, power, environmental, operational, etc.) - Reconfiguration/Upgrade: If the system is reconfigurable and/or upgradable on orbit, please describe how this is done - Interfaces: System interfaces (e.g., mechanical, power, thermal, data, etc.) needed for design, integration, and testing - Operations: Description of the operating concept and processes - Cost: Cost estimate including both HW/SW and associated services (ROM number is acceptable) - Use cases and customers: Success stories and applications, as well as government agencies/industries served (e.g., NASA, FAA, USGS, Commercial aerospace companies, etc.) Additional information is located in the attached documents.