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XPoSat
Indian space observatory / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with IXPE.
The X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) is an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) manufactured space observatory to study polarisation of cosmic X-rays. It was launched on 1 January 2024 on a PSLV rocket,[8] and it has an expected operational lifespan of at least five years.[9][10]
Quick Facts Names, Mission type ...
![]() X-ray Polarimeter satellite (XPoSat) in deployed configuration | |
Names | XPoSat |
---|---|
Mission type | Space observatory |
Operator | ISRO |
COSPAR ID | 2024-001A ![]() |
SATCAT no. | 58694![]() |
Website | www |
Mission duration | Planned : 5 years Elapsed : 6 months, 11 days [1] |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft | X-ray Polarimeter Satellite |
Bus | Modified IMS-2[2] |
Manufacturer | Raman Research Institute U R Rao Satellite Centre |
Launch mass | 480 kg (1,060 lb)[3] |
Payload mass | 144 kg (317 lb)[3] |
Dimensions | 65 × 65 × 60 cm (26 × 26 × 24 in) |
Power | 1260 watts[3] |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 1 January 2024, 9:10 AM IST (3:40 UTC) [4] |
Rocket | PSLV-DL[5][6] |
Launch site | Satish Dhawan Space Centre First Launch Pad |
Contractor | ISRO |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
Regime | Low Earth orbit |
Perigee altitude | 638 km |
Apogee altitude | 653 km |
Inclination | 6°[3][7] |
Period | 97.61 minutes |
Instruments | |
Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays (POLIX) X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing (XSPECT) | |
![]() XPoSat Logo |
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The telescope was developed by the Raman Research Institute (RRI) in close collaboration with U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC).[11] As per ISRO, this mission will complement the efforts of US space agency NASA, which launched its Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) in 2021 by observing space events across a broad energy range of 2-30 keV.[12][13]