VTXO: the Virtual Telescope for X-ray Observations
John Krizmanic, Neerav Shah, Alice Harding, Phil Calhoun, Lloyd, Purves, Cassandra Webster, Steven Stochaj, Kyle Rankin, Daniel Smith,, Hyeongjun Park, Laura Boucheron, Krishna Kota, Michael Corcoran, Chris, Shrader, and Asal Naseri

TL;DR
VTXO proposes a lightweight, formation-flying X-ray telescope using PFLs on SmallSats to achieve unprecedented angular resolution, enabling detailed studies of compact X-ray sources and their environments.
Contribution
It introduces a novel formation-flying SmallSat system with PFLs for high-resolution X-ray imaging, advancing the capabilities of space-based X-ray astronomy.
Findings
Laboratory tests show near diffraction-limited resolution of PFLs.
Design demonstrates feasible formation flying with SmallSats in high elliptical orbit.
Potential to observe X-ray sources with ten times better resolution than current instruments.
Abstract
The Virtual Telescope for X-ray Observations (VTXO) will use lightweight Phase Frensel Lenses (PFLs) in a virtual X-ray telescope with 1 km focal length and with nearly 50 milli-arcsecond angular resolution. Laboratory characterization of PFLs have demonstrated near diffraction-limited angular resolution in the X-ray band, but they require long focal lengths to achieve this quality of imaging. VTXO is formed by using precision formation flying of two SmallSats: a smaller, 6U OpticsSat that houses the PFLs and navigation beacons while a larger, ESPA-class DetectorSat contains an X-ray camera, a charged-particle radiation monitor, a precision star tracker, and the propulsion for the formation flying. The baseline flight dynamics uses a highly-elliptical supersynchronous geostationary transfer orbit to allow the inertial formation to form and hold around the 90,000 km apogee for 10 hours…
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