XMM Newton Observatory
The European Space Agency's (ESAs) X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton) was launched in 1999. XMM carries 3 high-throughput X-ray telescopes with an unprecedented effective area, and an optical monitor, the first flown on an X-ray observatory. The large collecting area and ability to make long uninterrupted exposures yield highly sensitive observations.
The XMM-Newton Science Operations Centre (XMM-Newton SOC) is responsible for the science operations of ESA's XMM-Newton scientific satellite. From the reception of the observer’s scientific proposals to the final delivery of calibrated scientific products to the observer the activities of the SOC comprise all the necessary steps to ensure high quality and reliability of the scientific data.
Serco is responsible for providing a wide range of support activities to the XMM-Newton SOC located at Villafranca del Castillo near Madrid, Spain (European Space Astronomy Centre or ESAC).
The resident Serco team consists currently of several scientists working on the calibration of XMM-Newton’s scientific instruments, on community support tasks and being responsible for mission planning and scheduling of observations. Furthermore, there are several system analysts and software engineers working on software design and development and system administration.