Cluster outskirts in X-rays: current status and future prospects

Observations of the outer regions of galaxy clusters at X-ray wavelengths are of great importance as they carry much information on the formation process of clusters. In this presentation I shall review the current status of investigations of these regions. I will provide evidence that active and planned X-ray missions will not be able to conduct detailed investigations, although, from a technological point of view, the problem of constructing an experiment sensitive to low surface brightness regions is not a particularly challenging one. I shall than go on to describing how the investigation of these regions may be accomplished with dedicated and relatively inexpensive X-ray instrumentation.