10 months ago
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On New Year's Day, India started a new mission to solve what is among the oldest mysteries of the universe - black holes. At 9.10 am, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the XPoSAT or X-ray Polarimeter Satellite mission from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
The 260-tonne Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) started its 60th flight today. The rocket carries an advanced astronomy
observatory meant to study black holes and neutron stars. With this, India has become only the second country after the US to have an 'observatory' to study black holes.
Using X-ray photons and their polarisation, XPoSAT will help study the radiation from near black holes and neutron stars. It carries two payloads -- POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) and XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing).
The satellite will measure polarisation of X-rays in the energy band 8-30keV emanating from about 50 potential cosmic sources through Thomson Scattering by POLIX payload.
It will carry out long term spectral and temporal studies of cosmic X-ray sources. It will also carry out polarisation and spectroscopic measurements of X-ray emissions from cosmic sources through POLIX and XSPECT payloads.
When stars run out of fuel and 'die', they collapse under their own gravity and leave behind black holes or neutron stars. Black holes have the highest gravitational force in the universe, and neutron stars have the highest densities.
Gathering more information on this, the mission will help unravel the mysteries of the ultra-extreme environments in space.
The XPoSat satellite cost around Rs 250 crore (approximately $30 million). The NASA IXPE -- which is on a similar mission since 2021 -- cost $188 million. The Indian satellite is expected to last more than five years, compared to the two-year life span of the NASA IXPE.
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