India Successfully Launches XPoSAT To Study Black Hole (Image: X @isro)
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched its inaugural X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) on January 1, 2024. India launched this prestigious mission, which would offer insights into celestial objects like black holes, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
PSLV-C58/XPoSat Mission:
Lift-off normal 🙂🛰️XPoSat satellite is launched successfully.
🚀PSLV-C58 vehicle placed the satellite precisely into the intended orbit of 650 km with 6-degree inclination🎯.
The POEM-3 is being scripted …#XPoSat
— ISRO (@isro) January 1, 2024
The space agency also confirmed the successful launch of XPoSAT through its X handle. “PSLV-C58 vehicle placed the satellite precisely into the intended orbit of 650 km with 6-degree inclination,” wrote ISRO on its X handle on January 1. ISRO has also shared the images of the PSLV-C58 rocket, which lifted off at 9.10 a.m.XPoSat is ISRO”s first dedicated scientific satellite to conduct research in space-based polarisation measurements of X-ray emission from celestial sources.
2024 lifted off majestically. 📸
XPoSat health is normal.
Power generation has commenced. pic.twitter.com/v9ut0hh2ib— ISRO (@isro) January 1, 2024
With this, India became the second country after the US to join the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer. Notably, the US-based space agency NASA launched one such satellite in December 2021. According to ISRO, the XPoSat spacecraft is designated for observation from Low Earth Orbit, carrying two scientific payloads. The mission is capable of simultaneous studies of temporal, spectral, and polarization features of the bright X-ray sources with the help of payloads.
According to ISRO, the primary payload, POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays), will measure the polarimetry parameters in the medium X-ray energy range. XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing), the secondary payload, can provide fast timing and good spectroscopic resolution in soft X-rays. ISRO has made several extraordinary achievements in 2023. The success of Chandrayaan-3 is the most notable one on the list. India also witnessed the landmark launch of Aditya L1, the country”s first solar exploration mission.
