The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Gears Up for its Maiden 2024 Mission: XPoSat to Take Flight on January 1, Aboard PSLV-C58 Rocket.
“XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite) is India’s first dedicated polarimetry mission to study various dynamics of bright astronomical X-ray sources in extreme conditions,” the ISRO said.
When to watch XPoSat launch
The PSLV-C58/EXPOSAT Mission is scheduled for liftoff at 9:10 am on Monday, January 1, 2024, from the first launch pad at SDSC-SHAR (Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota), Sriharikota, as announced by ISRO.
Where to watch live
ISRO has provided multiple platforms to view the live launch starting from 08:40 am:
YouTube (Click here for the link)
ISRO website (Click here for the link)
ISRO’s Facebook account (Click here for the link)
DD National’s account on X (Click here for the link)
Everything about XPoSat
XPoSat marks ISRO’s maiden venture into dedicated scientific satellites for space-based polarization measurements of X-ray emissions from celestial bodies, including black holes. The study of X-ray polarization is crucial for unraveling the radiation mechanisms and geometry of these celestial sources.
ISRO explained, “Understanding the emission mechanism from various astronomical sources such as black holes, neutron stars, active galactic nuclei, pulsar wind nebulae, etc., poses a challenge due to the complex physical processes involved.”
Among the payloads onboard XPoSat, XSPECT is designed to observe various sources, including X-ray pulsars, black hole binaries, low-magnetic field neutron stars in LMXBs, AGNs, and Magnetars. Another payload, POLIX, is anticipated to observe approximately 40 bright astronomical sources of diverse categories throughout the planned 5-year mission lifespan of XPoSat.
How will the XPoSat mission help?
XPoSat is poised to deliver significant advantages to the global astronomy community.
In India, the focus of space-based X-ray astronomy has traditionally been on imaging and time domain studies. However, the upcoming mission, scheduled for launch on January 1, represents a substantial enhancement for the scientific community, according to statements from the space agency.
Beyond its capabilities in timing and spectroscopy-based observations, the mission’s emphasis on X-ray polarization measurements of celestial objects, including black holes, neutron stars, and active galactic nuclei, holds the promise of greatly advancing our comprehension of their underlying physics.
Exciting news! Storify News is now on WhatsApp Channels. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news! Click here!
Disclaimer: (This story, title and image has not been edited by StorifyNews.com staff and is published content form other source).