IXPE Science Operations Center (SOC) team successfully completed required adjustments needed to optimize optical alignment, to maximize system throughput and to center the image. The change required a final Tip Tilt & Rotate (TTR) adjustment in Tip, which was successfully executed on 6/6/22 with support from MSFC and Ball. The Tip adjustment put the alignment well within the acceptable tolerance desired by the SOC.
The first target of opportunity, for a second observation of the X-ray black-hole binary source Cyg X-1, was approved. It will be scheduled for 6/20-21/22 in attempt to get a coincident observation with the balloon payload XL-Caliber, currently in Sweden being prepared for flight.
An AXIOS article (https://www.axios.com/2022/06/09/x-ray-astronomy-universe-cosmos-stars) published online on 6/9/22 mentions IXPE along with other X-ray missions. Two AXIOS writers interviewed Brian Ramsey and Steve O’Dell (ST12) on 6/8/22.
