MAXIM

The proposed Micro-arcsecond X-ray Interferometry Mission (MAXIM) aims to obtain sub-microarcsecond resolution X-ray images of nearby galactic nuclei (especially our Galactic Center, M87, and nearby Seyfert galaxies). At this resolution, one can resolve X-ray emitting structures on the scale of the event horizon of the central massive black hole. Furthermore, one may be able to map, in both spatial and velocity coordinates, the iron line fluorescence across the surface of the accretion disk. This would provide unprecedented and direct constraints on the dynamics of the disk. The technological developments required to construct this ambitious observatory are challenging, requiring one to perform X-ray interferometry in deep space across baselines of hundreds of meters. However, these difficulties are not insurmountable, and it is reasonable to suppose that such an observatory could be constructed within 20 years, with a less able ``pathfinder'' mission in 10 years or so.