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XPoSat Mission of ISRO


Why is it in the news?

  • ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C58) successfully launched XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite) and 10 other payloads from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
  • With XPoSat’s launch, India becomes the second country after the United States to send an observatory dedicated to studying astronomical sources like black holes and neutron stars.

XPoSat Mission

  • XPoSat is the first dedicated scientific satellite from ISRO, specifically designed to investigate the polarization of intense X-ray sources in space.
  • Polarization, a characteristic of waves, including electromagnetic waves like X-rays, describes the orientation of wave oscillations. In X-rays, polarization provides valuable information about source properties and the environment through which the X-rays travel.
  • XPoSat operates in a Low Earth Orbit at an altitude of approximately 650 km, with a low inclination of around 6 degrees.
  • The Payloads are:

1) POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays): Instrument for measuring polarization in X-rays.

2) XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing): Instrument for X-ray spectroscopy and timing studies.

  • The satellite is expected to be operational for approximately 5 years.

 

PSLV Orbital Experimental Module-3 (POEM-3) Experiment

·       PSLV features an experimental module known as POEM-3 (PSLV Orbital Experimental Module-3).

·       POEM allows in-orbit scientific experiments using the spent final stage (PS4) of PSLV as a stabilized platform to perform experiments.

·       The XPoSat mission marks the third time ISRO has utilized the POEM platform to demonstrate space technologies.


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