NICER Hardware and Patch Kit

  • Released Tuesday, July 30, 2024
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This video shows different components of NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer). The damaged thermal shield is a flight spare used during the patch testing process.

0:00 A NICER patch slowly rotates counterclockwise. 0:14 A top-down view of the same patch, still rotating. 0:21 Another side view of the patch rotating. A gloved hand enters from the right-hand side, picks up the patch, and turns it on its side. The patch begins rotating again, so the tab on the bottom becomes visible. 1:03 A gloved hand slowly tilts a damaged thermal shield. 1:41 The thermal shield rests in a container that slowly rotates. 2:08 A gloved hand rotates a NICER X-ray concentrator. 2:30The camera moves past the X-ray concentrator. 2:52 A hand places a NICER sunshade on the table. 2:58 The sunshade rotates counterclockwise. 3:00 The sunshade rotates on its side.

Credit:NASA/Sophia Roberts and Scott Wiessinger

NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer) is an X-ray telescope on the International Space Station located near the starboard solar array.

In May 2023, it developed a “light leak,” where unwanted sunlight began entering the instrument. The leak is the result of damage to some of the thin thermal shields that cover the mission’s 56 X-ray concentrators, which focus X-rays onto the telescope’s detectors.

The damage allows sunlight to reach the detectors inside the telescope during the station’s daytime, saturating sensors and interfering with NICER’s X-ray measurements. The damage does not impact nighttime observations.

The NICER team developed a plan to cover the largest areas of damage using five patches, each shaped like a piece of pie, by inserting them into the instrument’s sunshades and locking them in place.

This video shows the NICER patch locking mechanism.

0:00 A gloved hand holds a NICER patch. The bottom has a silver tab that is rotated so it sticks out from the side of the patch. The technician’s hand holds a tool. It rotates the tool, and the tab moves into its unlocked position. 0:15 The same actions repeat, but with the patch and tool angled 45 degrees from the camera. Then, the technician removes the tool from the patch, reinserts it, redeploys the tab, and removes the tool. 0:43 A NICER patch rests on a table. A technician’s hand enters from the right-hand side of the frame holding a tool. The tool is inserted into the hexagonal opening at the top of the patch. The technician picks up the patch using the tool and removes it from frame. A gloved hand then places a sunshade on the table. The tool and patch come back into frame. The patch is inserted into the sunshade, the tool rotates, and the tab deploys at the bottom of the sunshade. The tool is then removed from the frame. 1:43 A technician removes the locked patch from the sunshade and then re-inserts it. 2:45 A wider view of the same actions.

Credit:NASA/Sophia Roberts and Scott Wiessinger

This video shows all 12 NICER patches in their caddy, which is how astronauts will carry them during a spacewalk.

0:00 The camera pans back and forth across the caddy. 0:21 The caddy rotates counterclockwise. 0:35 The camera starts wide and then sweeps closer to the caddy. 0:50 The camera pans from one side of the caddy to the other. 0:58 The camera pans around the caddy in a wide show that reveals the edge of the white backdrop. 1:10 The camera shows a top-down view of the caddy, starting close and then pulling back slightly. 1:19 Gloved hands rotate a plastic box holding 20 NICER patches — the twelve that will go to the space station and eight flight spares. 1:33 Gloved hands lift the lid of the plastic box.

Credit:NASA/Sophia Roberts and Scott Wiessinger

This image, obtained June 8, 2018, shows NASA’s NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer) on the International Space Station, where it studies neutron stars and other X-ray sources. NICER, at center, is about the size of a washing machine. The sunshades of its X-ray concentrators are visible as an array of circular features. Credit: NASA Alt text: Photograph of NICER on the space station. Descriptive text: NICER, near the center of the image, is a white box with dozens of cylinders on one side, looking upward. Silver and white objects surround it. Two of the station’s giant solar panels appear in the background at left, tilted 45 degrees.

This image, obtained June 8, 2018, shows NASA’s NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer) on the International Space Station, where it studies neutron stars and other X-ray sources. NICER, at center, is about the size of a washing machine. The sunshades of its X-ray concentrators are visible as an array of circular features.

Credit: NASA

Alt text: Photograph of NICER on the space station.

Descriptive text: NICER, near the center of the image, is a white box with dozens of cylinders on one side, looking upward. Silver and white objects surround it. Two of the station’s giant solar panels appear in the background at left, tilted 45 degrees.

UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi captured this view of NICER from a window in the Poisk Mini-Research Module 2 on the space station in July 2023. Photos like this one helped the mission team map the damage to the filters over NICER’s X-ray concentrators. Credit: NASA/Sultan Alneyadi Alt text: A zoomed-in photograph of NICER. Descriptive text: NICER’s X-ray concentrators take up most of this photograph. They appear as dark circles in eight staggered rows. Each is divided into six segments, like a sliced orange or pie, by the internal vanes of its sunshade. The concentrators rest in a white frame, the rest of the NICER telescope.

UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi captured this view of NICER from a window in the Poisk Mini-Research Module 2 on the space station in July 2023. Photos like this one helped the mission team map the damage to the filters over NICER’s X-ray concentrators.

Credit: NASA/Sultan Alneyadi

Alt text: A zoomed-in photograph of NICER.

Descriptive text: NICER’s X-ray concentrators take up most of this photograph. They appear as dark circles in eight staggered rows. Each is divided into six segments, like a sliced orange or pie, by the internal vanes of its sunshade. The concentrators rest in a white frame, the rest of the NICER telescope.

Zoom in of the above. Some of NICER’s damaged thermal shields (circled) are visible in this photograph. Credit: NASA/Sultan Alneyadi Alt text: A close-up photo of damage to NICER’s thermal shields. Descriptive text: This photograph shows rows of cylindrical NICER sunshades. The outsides are white, and inside they’re black with multiple vanes that form six triangular sections — like a pie. Behind the cylinders are thin, shiny films called thermal shields. The photograph reveals they’re damaged in places, including one section where nested circular mirrors are visible. The damaged areas are circled.

Zoom in of the above. Some of NICER’s damaged thermal shields (circled) are visible in this photograph.

Credit: NASA/Sultan Alneyadi

Alt text: A close-up photo of damage to NICER’s thermal shields.

Descriptive text: This photograph shows rows of cylindrical NICER sunshades. The outsides are white, and inside they’re black with multiple vanes that form six triangular sections — like a pie. Behind the cylinders are thin, shiny films called thermal shields. The photograph reveals they’re damaged in places, including one section where nested circular mirrors are visible. The damaged areas are circled.

An unlabeled version of the above.

An unlabeled version of the above.

NICER’s patches are made from aluminum and coated in black dye. Each is about 2 inches tall. “LCK” indicates the lock position for a tab at the bottom that will hold the patch in place. NASA is sending 12 of these patches to the International Space Station. During a spacewalk, astronauts will insert five into sunshades on the telescope to cover the most significant areas of damage. Credit: NASA/Sophia Roberts Alt text: Photo of one of the NICER patches Descriptive text: Against a white backdrop, is a black wedge shaped like a piece of pie. The top extends slightly over the sides and has a silver screw at each corner, as well as a rounded triangular sticker that reads “Patch S/N 03” at the top and “LCK” at bottom left. Two black lines on the sticker extend from a hexagonal hole at the center, indicating how the wedge locks into place.

NICER’s patches are made from aluminum and coated in black dye. Each is about 2 inches tall. “LCK” indicates the lock position for a tab at the bottom that will hold the patch in place. NASA is sending 12 of these patches to the International Space Station. During a spacewalk, astronauts will insert five into sunshades on the telescope to cover the most significant areas of damage.

Credit: NASA/Sophia Roberts

Alt text: Photo of one of the NICER patches

Descriptive text: Against a white backdrop, is a black wedge shaped like a piece of pie. The top extends slightly over the sides and has a silver screw at each corner, as well as a rounded triangular sticker that reads “Patch S/N 03” at the top and “LCK” at bottom left. Two black lines on the sticker extend from a hexagonal hole at the center, indicating how the wedge locks into place.

NICER’s patches will be inserted into its sunshades, as shown here. The small tab that locks the patch into place is visible beneath it. The carbon composite sunshades cover each of NICER’s 56 X-ray concentrators. Credit: NASA/Sophia Roberts Alt text: Photo of a NICER patch inserted into a sunshade. Descriptive text: This photograph shows a short cylinder. It’s white outside, and inside it’s black with multiple vanes that form six triangular sections — like a pie. In one of the bottom sections, a black triangular wedge has been inserted. Its top has a white sticker with black labels reading “Patch S/N 03” at the top and “LCK” at the bottom left. At the bottom of this wedge, a small silver tab sticks out from the underside of the cylinder. The cylinder has three gold-colored feet and rests against a white backdrop.

NICER’s patches will be inserted into its sunshades, as shown here. The small tab that locks the patch into place is visible beneath it. The carbon composite sunshades cover each of NICER’s 56 X-ray concentrators.

Credit: NASA/Sophia Roberts

Alt text: Photo of a NICER patch inserted into a sunshade.

Descriptive text: This photograph shows a short cylinder. It’s white outside, and inside it’s black with multiple vanes that form six triangular sections — like a pie. In one of the bottom sections, a black triangular wedge has been inserted. Its top has a white sticker with black labels reading “Patch S/N 03” at the top and “LCK” at the bottom left. At the bottom of this wedge, a small silver tab sticks out from the underside of the cylinder. The cylinder has three gold-colored feet and rests against a white backdrop.

The NICER caddy is an aluminum box containing two of the mission’s spare sunshades, which are attached to the bottom. Inside the sunshades, 12 patches are locked into place. Astronauts will take the complete caddy assembly with them during a future spacewalk to address damage to NICER’s thermal shields. They’ll insert five of the patches over the largest areas of damage, which will allow the mission to return to a more normal operating status during the station’s daytime. Credit: NASA/Sophia Roberts Alt text: Photo of the NICER caddy. Descriptive text: This photograph shows the NICER caddy assembly against a white backdrop. The exterior is a shiny silver box with no lid. There is a sticker on the upper left-hand side that reads: “NICER Caddy P/N 2354970 S/N 1” with a bar code in the right-hand corner. Inside the box are two cylinders, each segmented into six sections like pies. Each section contains a black triangular wedge with a white label on top.

The NICER caddy is an aluminum box containing two of the mission’s spare sunshades, which are attached to the bottom. Inside the sunshades, 12 patches are locked into place. Astronauts will take the complete caddy assembly with them during a future spacewalk to address damage to NICER’s thermal shields. They’ll insert five of the patches over the largest areas of damage, which will allow the mission to return to a more normal operating status during the station’s daytime.

Credit: NASA/Sophia Roberts

Alt text: Photo of the NICER caddy.

Descriptive text: This photograph shows the NICER caddy assembly against a white backdrop. The exterior is a shiny silver box with no lid. There is a sticker on the upper left-hand side that reads: “NICER Caddy P/N 2354970 S/N 1” with a bar code in the right-hand corner. Inside the box are two cylinders, each segmented into six sections like pies. Each section contains a black triangular wedge with a white label on top.

NICER’s thermal shields — the silver filter shown here — cover each of the mission’s 56 X-ray concentrators. They block ultraviolet, infrared, and visible light while allowing X-rays to pass through to the mirrors underneath. Each filter is only about 160 nanometers thick, or 500 times thinner than the width of a human hair. Credit: NASA/Sophia Roberts Alt text: Photo of a NICER thermal shield. Descriptive text: This photo shows what looks like a container for an old film reel against a white backdrop. The container is round and golden. The bottom half is propped up on the top half, so the interior is angled toward the camera. Housed in the center is a thin silver disk — one of NICER’s thermal shields.

NICER’s thermal shields — the silver filter shown here — cover each of the mission’s 56 X-ray concentrators. They block ultraviolet, infrared, and visible light while allowing X-rays to pass through to the mirrors underneath. Each filter is only about 160 nanometers thick, or 500 times thinner than the width of a human hair.

Credit: NASA/Sophia Roberts

Alt text: Photo of a NICER thermal shield.

Descriptive text: This photo shows what looks like a container for an old film reel against a white backdrop. The container is round and golden. The bottom half is propped up on the top half, so the interior is angled toward the camera. Housed in the center is a thin silver disk — one of NICER’s thermal shields.

NICER has 56 individual X-ray focusing elements, called concentrators, that each contain 24 nested mirrors. Every concentrator delivers X-rays to its own detector. The concentrator shown here is tilted on its side, so the camera is looking into the nested mirrors. X-rays are high-energy light, so they can pass through the atoms that make up most reflecting telescope mirrors. Instead, X-ray observatories use grazing incidence mirrors, where the surfaces are turned on their sides. X-rays skip across their surfaces and into detectors. Credit: NASA/Sophia Roberts Alt text: Photo of a NICER X-ray concentrator. Descriptive text: This photo shows a golden cylinder tilted on its side, so the camera looks down the middle. Towards the front, the cylinder is segmented by six golden spokes. Behind that, the cylinder looks like the interior of a halved golden onion, with nested circular layers. On the outside of the cylinder are three small circular attachments equally spaced.

NICER has 56 individual X-ray focusing elements, called concentrators, that each contain 24 nested mirrors. Every concentrator delivers X-rays to its own detector. The concentrator shown here is tilted on its side, so the camera is looking into the nested mirrors. X-rays are high-energy light, so they can pass through the atoms that make up most reflecting telescope mirrors. Instead, X-ray observatories use grazing incidence mirrors, where the surfaces are turned on their sides. X-rays skip across their surfaces and into detectors.

Credit: NASA/Sophia Roberts

Alt text: Photo of a NICER X-ray concentrator.

Descriptive text: This photo shows a golden cylinder tilted on its side, so the camera looks down the middle. Towards the front, the cylinder is segmented by six golden spokes. Behind that, the cylinder looks like the interior of a halved golden onion, with nested circular layers. On the outside of the cylinder are three small circular attachments equally spaced.

Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. However, individual items should be credited as indicated above.

This page was originally published on Tuesday, July 30, 2024.
This page was last updated on Tuesday, July 30, 2024 at 1:13 PM EDT.

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