  eXTP is a science mission designed to study the state of matter under extreme
conditions of density, gravity and magnetism. Primary targets include isolated
and binary neutron stars, strong magnetic field systems like magnetars, and
stellar-mass and supermassive black holes. The mission carries a unique and
unprecedented suite of state-of-the-art scientific instruments enabling for the
first time ever the simultaneous spectral-timing-polarimetry studies of cosmic
sources in the energy range from 0.5-30 keV (and beyond). Key elements of the
payload are: the Spectroscopic Focusing Array (SFA) - a set of 11 X-ray optics
for a total effective area of about 0.9 m^2 and 0.6 m^2 at 2 keV and 6 keV
respectively, equipped with Silicon Drift Detectors offering <180 eV spectral
resolution; the Large Area Detector (LAD) - a deployable set of 640 Silicon
Drift Detectors, for a total effective area of about 3.4 m^2, between 6 and 10
keV, and spectral resolution <250 eV; the Polarimetry Focusing Array (PFA) - a
set of 2 X-ray telescope, for a total effective area of 250 cm^2 at 2 keV,
equipped with imaging gas pixel photoelectric polarimeters; the Wide Field
Monitor (WFM) - a set of 3 coded mask wide field units, equipped with
position-sensitive Silicon Drift Detectors, each covering a 90 degrees x 90
degrees FoV. The eXTP international consortium includes mostly major
institutions of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Universities in China, as
well as major institutions in several European countries and the United States.
The predecessor of eXTP, the XTP mission concept, has been selected and funded
as one of the so-called background missions in the Strategic Priority Space
Science Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences since 2011. The strong
European participation has significantly enhanced the scientific capabilities
of eXTP. The planned launch date of the mission is earlier than 2025.
