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About

Maximilien J. Collon is a specialist in X-ray space telescope optics, with a career centered on the development and advancement of Silicon Pore Optics (SPO) — a transformative technology enabling lightweight, high-performance X-ray mirrors for next-generation space observatories. His most significant contributions lie in solving the formidable engineering challenge of building large-aperture X-ray telescopes that are both precise and mass-efficient, leveraging semiconductor manufacturing techniques and custom robotics to achieve what conventional optics cannot. Collon's work has been instrumental in shaping the optical systems of landmark missions, most notably ESA's Athena (Advanced Telescope for High Energy Astrophysics) and its predecessor concept XEUS. From early modular assembly designs to mass production processes and refined mirror stacking techniques, his research traces the full maturation arc of SPO technology across nearly two decades. His 2006 paper on XEUS petal assembly and his more recent 2023 overview of SPO as a mature technology bookend a sustained and productive research program. With citations spanning international collaborations including NASA's Arcus mission, Collon's influence extends across both European and American astrophysics communities, making him a key figure in the engineering foundations of modern X-ray astronomy.