The XPoSAT mission on the new year day of 2024, marks the 60th flight of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)
Our Bureau
Sriharikota
A PSLV rocket carrying a total of 11 satellites, including ISRO’s X-Ray polarimeter satellite, lifted off from a spaceport in Chennai on the 1st January of the new year 2024. ISRO’s maiden X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite would offer insights into celestial objects like black holes.
“PSLV-C58 vehicle placed the satellite precisely into the intended orbit of 650 km with 6-degree inclination. The POEM-3 is being scripted,” ISRO posted in X. Soon after, ISRO chief S Somanath announced the successful launch. POEM refers to PSLV Orbital Experimental Module.
The 260-tonne rocket carries an advanced astronomy observatory meant to study black holes and neutron stars. The PSLV-C58 rocket, in its 60th mission, carried primary payload XPoSat and 10 other satellites to be deployed in low earth orbits.
At 9.10 am the Indian rocket PSLV-DL variant with the code PSLV-C58, standing 44.4-metre tall and weighing 260 ton, took off from the first launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota, in Andhra Pradesh. At about 21 minutes into its flight, the rocket will orbit XPoSat at an altitude of about 650 km.
The satellite will measure polarization of X-rays in the energy band 8-30keV emanating from about 50 potential cosmic sources through Thomson Scattering by POLIX payload.
Black holes have the highest gravitational force in the universe, and neutron stars have the highest densities. The mission will help unravel mysteries of ultra-extreme environments in space. 2023, the year goneby saw India going up in the space exploration with the success of the Chandrayaan mission. As 2024 begins, ISRO has its eyes focused on the Gaganyaan launch, India’s first human spaceflight program.
