ISRO launches 2024 mission with X-Ray Polarimeter satellite for black hole exploration

Bengaluru: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to kick off the year 2024 with the launch of XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite) on January 1, Monday. It is India’s first XPoSat which aims to investigate the polarization of intense X-Ray sources and study the enigmatic world of black holes.

“XPoSat is India’s first dedicated polarimetry mission to study various dynamics of bright astronomical X-ray sources in extreme conditions,” the space agency said. The satellite will be launched on board the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

XPoSat Mission: Date, time and venue

The ISRO will launch PSLV-C58/EXPOSAT Mission at 09:10 hrs IST on Monday, January 1, 2024. The launch is planned from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.

ISRO’s PSLV-C58 Mission will launch the XPOSAT Satellite into an eastward low inclination orbit. “After injection of XPOSAT, the PS4 stage will be re-started twice to reduce the orbit into 350 km circular orbit to maintain in 3-axis stabilized mode for Orbital Platform (OP) experiments,” the space agency said.

“The PSLV Orbital Experimental Module-3 (POEM-3) experiment will be executed meeting the objective of 10 identified payloads, supplied by ISRO and IN-SPACe,” the ISRO said.

The spacecraft of the XPoSat will carry two scientific payloads in a low earth orbit.

“The primary payload POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) will measure the polarimetry parameters (degree and angle of polarization) in medium X-ray energy range of 8-30 keV photons of astronomical origin. The XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing) payload will give spectroscopic information in the energy range of 0.8-15 keV,” ISRO said.