MIRC-X is a new beam combination instrument at the CHARA array that enables 6-telescope
interferometric imaging on object classes that until now have been out of reach for
milliarcsecond-resolution imaging. As part of an instrumentation effort lead by the
University of Exeter and University of Michigan, we equipped the MIRC instrument with
an ultra-low read-noise detector system and extended the wavelength range to the J
and H band. The first phase of the MIRC-X commissioning was successfully completed
in June 2017. In 2018 we will commission polarisation control to improve the visibility
calibration and implement a 'cross-talk resiliant' mode that will minimise visibility
cross-talk and enable exoplanet searches using precision closure phases. Here we outline
our key science drivers and give an overview about our commissioning timeline. We
comment on operational aspects, such as remote observing, and the prospects of co-phased
parallel operations with the upcoming MYSTIC combiner.
