India begins New Year with launch of XPoSat satellite to study black holes

India will begin New Year with the launch of X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat), world’s second ever black hole monitoring satellite, on Monday at 9:10 am from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

Till date, the United States is the only country to have an ‘observatory’ to study black holes.

🚀 PSLV-C58/ 🛰️ XPoSat Mission:
The launch of the X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) is set for January 1, 2024, at 09:10 Hrs. IST from the first launch-pad, SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota.https://t.co/gWMWX8N6Iv

The launch can be viewed LIVE
from 08:40 Hrs. IST on
YouTube:… pic.twitter.com/g4tUArJ0Ea

— ISRO (@isro) December 31, 2023

The launch of XPoSat marks ISRO’s first dedicated scientific satellite designed for space-based polarisation measurements of X-ray emissions from celestial sources.

A comparable study with the Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer mission was carried out by US’ National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) in December 2021 which focused on remnants of supernova explosions, particle streams from black holes, and various cosmic phenomena.

India’s polarimetry mission will be using a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and have two payloads. 

The XPoSat satellite will be launched into space through the PSLC C58 spacecraft, which will also be carrying the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module.

The primary payload, POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays), will measure the degree and angle of polarisation in the medium X-ray energy range of 8-30 keV, originating from astronomical sources. While, the XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing) payload will provide spectroscopic information in the energy range of 0.8-15 keV.

India’s XPoSat mission

The XPoSat satellite will use its X-ray technology to pick up radiations from the black holes, collecting data on their behaviour in space.

For the unversed, when stars run of fuel and die, they leave behind black holes or neutron stars.

The stars collapse under their own gravity. Meanwhile, black holes are considered to have the highest gravitational force in the universe and neutron stars have the highest densities.

The mission will gather more information on this and help unravel the mysteries of the ultra-extreme environments in space.

The XPoSat is expected to last more than five years compared to the two-year life span of the NASA IXPE.

With inputs from agencies

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