History Created Again As ISRO Successfully Launches XPoSat To Study Black Holes
Today, a rocket will launch carrying an advanced astronomical observatory designed to examine black holes and neutron stars.
India started the New Year by attempting to solve one of the universe's greatest mysteries: black holes. Today, a rocket carrying an advanced astronomical observatory designed to examine black holes and neutron stars was sent to space.
PSLV-C58/XPoSat Mission:
¡ª ISRO (@isro) January 1, 2024
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
When was the satellite launched?
Generated on DALL.E
With the successful launch of the XPoSAT, or X-ray Polarimeter Satellite, at 9.10 a.m., India became the second country, after the United States, to have an 'observatory' to research black holes.
The new project follows India's successful lunar mission Chandrayaan.
What is the aim of this launch?
XPoSAT will aid in the study of radiation from nearby black holes and neutron stars by using X-ray photons and their polarisation. POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) and XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing) are its two payloads.
Through Thomson Scattering by POLIX, the satellite will measure the polarisation of X-rays in the energy band 8-30keV emanating from around 50 possible cosmic sources.
Long-term spectral and temporal investigations of cosmic X-ray sources will be conducted. Through the POLIX and XSPECT payloads, it will also perform polarisation and spectroscopic observations of X-ray emissions from cosmic sources.
How much did the satellite cost?
The XPoSat satellite cost around Rs 250 crore (nearly $30 million), whereas the NASA IXPE, which has been on a similar mission since 2021, cost $188 million.
The Indian satellite is predicted to last longer than five years, compared to the NASA IXPE's two-year lifespan.
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