ISRO rings in the New Year with the launch of its groundbreaking X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite, XPoSat, aimed at unraveling the mysteries of celestial objects like black holes and marking a significant leap in India's space-based X-ray astronomy capabilities.
ISRO is set to kick off the new year with the launch of its first X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite, providing valuable insights into celestial objects such as black holes. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle rocket, PSLV-C58, will carry the primary payload XPoSat, along with 10 other satellites destined for low earth orbits.
The upcoming launch follows the success of ISRO's Gaganyaan Test Vehicle D1 mission in October. The 25-hour countdown for the lift-off, scheduled at 9.10 am on January 1, began on Sunday at the spaceport, located about 135 km east of Chennai.
XPoSat, the X-ray Polarimeter Satellite, marks a significant milestone for ISRO as its first dedicated scientific satellite aimed at researching space-based polarisation measurements of X-ray emissions from celestial sources. This mission adds a major dimension to India's space-based X-ray astronomy capabilities, focusing on imaging, time domain studies, and now, polarisation measurements.
The PSLV-C58 mission's objective is to measure the polarisation of X-rays in the 8-30 keV energy band from approximately 50 potential cosmic sources. This will enable long-term spectral and temporal studies of cosmic X-ray sources, offering crucial diagnostic information about the radiation mechanism and geometry of celestial bodies.
The primary payload, XPoSat, carries POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-Rays) designed by Raman Research Institute and XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing) built by the U R Rao Satellite Centre, Bengaluru, with a mission life of approximately 5 years.
X-Ray polarisation studies have gained international importance, and ISRO emphasizes the significance of the XPoSat mission in contributing to the global understanding of celestial objects. The insights derived from X-ray polarisation measurements hold the potential to enhance our understanding of the physics behind black holes, neutron stars, and active galactic nuclei.
Besides advancing scientific knowledge, XPoSat is expected to play a pivotal role in building expertise in X-Ray polarimetry in India, fostering collaboration within the astronomy community. The 44.4-meter-tall PSLV rocket will conduct the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module-3 (POEM-3) experiment, involving deploying the primary satellite into a 650 km Low Earth Orbit and later bringing it to a lower altitude of about 350 km.
In addition to XPoSat, the PSLV-C58 will carry various payloads, including the Radiation Shielding Experiment Module, Women Engineered Satellite, BeliefSat (an amateur radio satellite), Green Impulse Transmitter, LEATTD (Launching Expeditions for Aspiring Technologies Technology Demonstrator), RUDRA 0.3HPGP, ARKA 200, Dust Experiment (DEX), and Fuel Cell Power System and Si based High Energy cell.