ISRO's XPoSat launch: Everything you need to know about the mission 

ISRO's X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) was successfully launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, on January 1 at 9:10 a.m.
XPoSat is India's first dedicated scientific satellite, designed to measure the polarization of X-ray emissions from astronomical sources from orbit. This launch places India as the second country in the world to deploy a specialized in-space observatory for this purpose, focusing on investigating black holes and neutron stars—a first for the year in space exploration.
After rigorous system checks, including weather conditions, the mission director cleared the launch sequence. The liftoff occurred at 9:10 a.m., as planned.
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The mission is proceeding successfully, and the launch took place in stages, with the vehicle's performance being reported as usual at each stage.XPoSat was launched into a 650 km orbit with a six-degree inclination. The satellite's health metrics are normal, and electricity generation has begun.
Following the placement of XPoSat into its initial orbit, the PS4 stage was to undertake orbit corrections. The plan was to move from the original position to a lower orbit about 350 kilometers above Earth. This drop was to take place in two stages, with engine restarts in between. The new orbit would have a 9.6 degree inclination, showing a modest tilt compared to the existing orbit.

The rocket's PS4 stage had remaining fuel after successfully deploying XPoSat. A deliberate process was undertaken to safely dispose of this surplus fuel. This procedure served two purposes: it disposed of any residual fuel and prepared the PS4 stage for future experiments involving re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.

The mission of XPoSat

The primary goal of XPoSat is to investigate the orientation of light vibrations in order to better understand the mechanism and geometry of astronomical sources. POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) and XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing) are the satellite's payloads. POLIX operates as an enhanced X-ray camera, taking images and quantifying distinctive X-ray vibrations, whereas XSPECT acts as a scientific detective, investigating X-ray colors and timing. These payloads allow scientists to investigate celestial objects and gain knowledge into the behavior of X-rays in space.

     ISRO's first dedicated scientific satellite, XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite), will conduct research on space-based polarisation measurements of X-ray radiation from astronomical sources. The IMS-2 bus platform is updated for the Satellite arrangement. The mainframe system configuration is drawn from the IRS satellite history. POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) and XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing) are its two payloads. Raman Research Institute developed POLIX, and the URSC Space Astronomy Group developed XSPECT.

This mission's goals are as follows:

  • POLIX payload will use Thomson Scattering to assess the polarisation of X-rays in the energy band 8-30keV emanating from approximately 50 possible cosmic sources.
  • The XSPECT payload will conduct long-term spectral and temporal studies of cosmic X-ray sources in the energy range 0.8-15keV.
  • POLIX and XSPECT payloads will perform polarisation and spectroscopic measurements of X-ray emissions from cosmic sources in the common energy range.

Future missions of the Indian Space Research Organization
ISRO hopes to launch missions such as Shukrayaan-1, which will explore Venus, and Gaganyaan, India's first human spaceflight mission, in the coming weeks.

Here is the Brochure 👉Brochure

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