Mission analysis and preliminary spacecraft design of the enhanced x-ray timing and polarimetry observatory

Abstract

The enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry Observatory (eXTP) is a flagship international collaboration mission led by Chinese Academy of Sciences, with a large contribution from more than 20 European institutes. eXTP mission is designed to study the equation of state of ultra-dense matter under extreme conditions of strong density, gravity and magnetic field. The satellite carries four main instruments, including the Spectroscopy Focusing Array (SFA), the Large Area Detector (LAD), the Polarimetry Focusing array (PFA) and the Wide Field Monitor (WFM), enabling simultaneous spectral-timing-polarimetry studies of celestial sources in the energy range from 0.5-30 keV. The satellite will fly at a near-zero-inclination Low Earth Orbit, and is featured with long-time steady high-precision coaxial pointing, near realtime burst alert distribution, and follow-up maneuver capabilities. This paper describes the primary mission requirements and constraints, and presents an overall mission analysis including orbit analysis, pointing strategy, and board-ground communications, etc. The preliminary design of eXTP satellite is also introduced, including satellite overall configuration, observation modes, avionics architecture and development plan.