Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) created history by becoming the second country after the United States of America to launch a satellite to study emissions of celestial objects and sources like Black holes. India's ISRO Polar Satellite Launch (PSLV) vehicle famously called 'the Workhorse of ISRO' for consistently delivering various satellites to Low Earth Orbits has launched its C58 Vehicle with X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) on 01.01.2024 from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, India.
The XPoSat has reached the intended 350 km circular orbit to maintain in 3-axis stabilised mode and conduct Orbital Platform (OP) experiments. The PSLV Orbital Experimental Module-3 (POEM-3) with 2 XPoSat payloads- POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) and XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing) which carry out research in space-based polarisation measurements of X-ray emission from celestial bodies
XPoSat and Payloads
XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite) is India's ISRO satellite designed to study various dynamics of bright astronomical X-ray sources such as blackhole, neutron stars, active galactic nuclei, pulsar wind nebulae etc. in extreme conditions. Flares are emitted from these astronomical bodies into space. The nature of emission and its source are known much better with polarimetric studies, for which two scientific payloads POLIX and XSPECT, are associated with it.
1.POLIX, an X-ray Polarimeter deployed to measure astronomical observations in the energy band of 8-30 kiloelectronvolt (keV).
2.XSPECT is the second payload is an X-ray Spectroscopy and Timingpayload which gives quick timing and good spectroscopic resolution in soft X-rays
What are Black Holes and Emissions?
The strong energised astronomic bodies that release intense radioactive flares into space are a matter of investigation. The black hole is one such astronomic source 10 times the size of the Sun, which is matter packed into a very tiny area with immense gravitational field. The gravitational field is so huge that not even light can't escape from it. Intense X-ray flares are released into space by black holes. Most of the black holes in the Universe are formed from the remnants of larger stars which die in supernova explosions.
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Black Holes
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What is the Mission Objective?
1.To measure the polarization of X-rays in the energy band 8-30keV from 50 astronomic bodies.
2.To study spectral and temporal studies of cosmic X-rays in the range of 0.8-15keV
3.To carry out polarisation and spectroscopic measurements of X-ray emissions from cosmic sources
The mission span is five years and proves to be an important mission in understanding celestial bodies better.
