Only 36 pixels: why NASA is sending a very, very low definition camera into space

It’s a definition that looks more like a typo: is a mega, a giga missing? The American (NASA) and Japanese (Jaxa) space agencies are working jointly on an imaging mission. To do this, in September 2023 they placed a satellite in orbit integrating a sensor of only 36 pixels.

This figure is not an error, however, although it appears ridiculous by industry standards, indicates TechCrunch. For comparison, the James Webb Space Telescope can take rain photos of 1.5 million kilometers of Earth with 122 megapixel quality. That’s a definition almost 3.4 million times greater.

Study the composition and movement of x-ray emitting objects

But this gap can be explained by the nature of the Xrism mission (for X-ray imaging and spectroscopy mission). Since entering space, the Resolve instrument has indeed been scanning the cosmos. But his goal is not to photograph him. Rather than a camera, Resolve is more of a thermometer.

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“It may seem impossible, but it’s actually true”laughs Richard Kelley, Xrism research manager, in a press release. “The Resolve instrument allows us to better understand the composition and movement of objects emitting X-rays.”

“Resolve is more than a camera. Its detector measures every X-ray that hits it”continues Brian Williams, scientist on the Xrism project. “We call Resolve a microcalorimetric spectrometer because each of the 36 pixels measures tiny amounts of heat delivered by each incoming X-ray, allowing us to see the chemical fingerprints of the elements making up the sources in an unprecedented level of detail.”

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A sensor allowing three-dimensional exploration of space

The objective of the Xrism mission is to explore the hottest cosmic regions, the largest structures and the most massive stars, such as (as is often the case in space research) black holes. Among the elements to distinguish are soft X-rays, which have an energy 5,000 times greater than visible wavelengths.

Above all, NASA specifies that the satellite sensor opens the way to three-dimensional space exploration. By aiming at a target, Resolve’s readings will allow us to know if gases are approaching, if their energy increases, or moving away, if it decreases.

This technology could thus allow scientists to understand the flows of hot gases in galaxy clusters. It would also be possible to very precisely follow the movement of elements within the residue of supernova explosions.