Hot topics of X-ray Astrophysics from past and future missions

50 years after the first discovery, X-ray Astrophysics is a well-established discipline, with a continuous development of detection/observation techniques. These can find application on both large observatories and thematic space missions. I will recall the main milestones of X-ray Astrophysics and review some of the hottest topics of High Energy Astrophysics, included some open problems of Fundamental Physics, that can be addressed with measurements in the X-ray band. I will show which proposed missions and which concepts of new missions could be more attractive for a future development of this discipline.