Editing X-ray astronomy (section)

==Amateur X-ray astronomy==
{{main|Amateur X-ray astronomy}}
Collectively, amateur astronomers observe a variety of celestial objects and phenomena sometimes with equipment that they build themselves. The [[United States Air Force Academy]] (USAFA) is the home of the US's only undergraduate satellite program, and has and continues to develop the FalconLaunch sounding rockets.<ref name=Helms>{{cite web|author=Department of Astronautics|title=World's first astronautics department celebrates 50 years|date=2008|url=https://www.af.mil/News/story/id/123089260/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121212204116/http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123089260|archive-date=December 12, 2012|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> In addition to any direct amateur efforts to put X-ray astronomy payloads into space, there are opportunities that allow student-developed experimental payloads to be put on board commercial sounding rockets as a free-of-charge ride.<ref name=Blaylock>{{cite web|author=Blaylock E |title=AFRL Signs EPA to Educate and Inspire Future Aerospace Professionals |url=https://www.wpafb.af.mil/News/story/id/123110810/}}</ref>

There are major limitations to amateurs observing and reporting experiments in X-ray astronomy: the cost of building an amateur rocket or balloon to place a detector high enough and the cost of appropriate parts to build a suitable X-ray detector.