Silicon Pore Optics (SPO) is a new X-ray optics technology under development in Europe, forming the ESA baseline technology\r\nfor the International X-ray Observatory candidate mission studied jointly by ESA, NASA, and JAXA.With its matrix-like structure,\r\nmade of monocrystalline-bonded Silicon mirrors, it can achieve the required angular resolution and low mass density required for\r\nfuture large X-ray observatories. Glass-based Micro Pore Optics (MPO) achieve modest angular resolution compared to SPO, but\r\nare even lighter and have achieved sufficient maturity level to be accepted as the X-ray optic technology for instruments on board\r\nthe Bepi-Colombo mission, due to visit the planet Mercury. Opportunities for technology transfer to ground-based applications\r\ninclude material science, security and scanning equipment, and medical diagnostics. Pore X-ray optics combine high performance\r\nwith modularity and economic industrial production processes, ensuring cost effective implementation.
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