Abrixas

Abrixas

The Abrixas (A Broadband Imaging X-Ray All-Sky Survey) small satellite (A BRoadband Imaging X-ray All-sky Survey Satellite) was designed to perform the first complete survey of the sky with an imaging telescope in the X-ray energy range from 0.5 to 10 keV. ABRIXAS was to discover more than 10,000 new X-ray sources mainly active galaxies above 2 keV. In the centres of these galaxies, presumably black holes convert gravitational energy into high-energy radiation. Very often, like in our galaxy, clouds of gas and dust, which can be penetrated by high energy X-rays, cover the centres.

Shortly after launch, the main battery overheated and failed, causing a contact loss few days later.

In 2003 a reflight of the Abrixas instrument as a NASA SMEX mission under the name DUO (Dark Universe Observatory) was under study, but was not selected