Authors:
Aitor Ibarra (Telespazio UK for ESA), Richard Saxton (Telespazio UK for ESA), Jose Marcos (Telespazio UK for ESA), Anthony Marston (ESA), Esin Gülbahar (ESA) and Peter Kretschmar (ESA)

Abstract:

The XMM-Newton satellite is one of the most successful missions ever built for ESA. It has been operating as an open X-ray observatory since the beginning of 2000, producing high quality scientific results since then.

The XMM-Newton Science Analysis Software (SAS) is the application used for processing the data obtained with the scientific instruments on board XMM-Newton, an indispensable tool that has been helping scientists in the publication of nearly all refereed scientific papers published up to date. SAS is a robust software that has allowed users to produce good scientific results since the beginning of the mission. This has been possible given the SAS capability to evolve from a stand-alone to a SaaS (Software as a Service) application and adapt to the needs of the scientific community.

Today, the landscape of data analysis is evolving with the advent of cloud computing, offering new dimensions to enhance scalability and efficiency. Recently, XMM-Newton project developed a pilot prototype to migrate the current Remote Interface for Science Analysis (RISA), available through the XMM-Newton Science Archive (XSA) to Amazon Web Services (AWS). This presentation explores the synergy between SAS and cloud processing, showcasing how this collaboration transforms the landscape of X-ray astronomy.

This presentation explores the collaborative potential between the XMM-Newton SAS, cloud processing and the European Space Agency’s (ESA) DataLab initiative. In the future, we will explore as well other collaborative data-driven science platforms, like SciServer , which could form a synergy that revolutionizes X-ray astronomy analysis.

Furthermore, we address recent SAS developments, focused on Docker technologies, to prepare SAS for this new technology paradigm. In particular, new SAS python interfaces that will help users to run data processing threads based on ESA DataLab platform. Further developments, such as X-ray image interactivity is needed to exploit all SAS capabilities in these cloud environments.

In conclusion, the fusion of the XMM-Newton SAS, ESA DataLab, and cloud processing represents a significant leap forward in X-ray astronomy data analysis. This symbiotic relationship not only accelerates scientific discoveries but also paves the way for innovative research methodologies, empowering astronomers to explore the depths of the universe with unprecedented efficiency and precision.