The X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) was successfully launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) onboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C58. At 9.10 this morning, the satellite was launched from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre. Together with XPoSat, ten more research payloads were launched. With this expedition, India will undertake its first-ever focused scientific research of the polarisation of cosmic X-rays from astronomical sources.
After the United States, India is now the second nation in the world to send a dedicated astronomy observatory to research black holes and neutron stars in our galaxy thanks to the launch of XPoSat. The primary payload XPoSat has a mission life of approximately five years. XPoSat has been successfully launched into a 650 kilometre Low Earth Orbit as planned, according to ISRO Chief S. Somanath.
The remaining ten payloads come from Bellatrix Aerospace Private Ltd (two payloads), TakeMe2Space, LBS Institute Technology for Women, K J Somaiya Institute of Technology, Inspecity Space Labs Private Ltd, Dhruva Space Private Ltd, and three payloads from the ISRO.
Because it was the first launch of the year and the holidays, a mass of people of all ages flocked to the Space Center’s visitors gallery. Youngsters were invited to contribute what they knew about ISRO’s mission. The pupils were urged to develop a spirit of science and inspiration in the brains of the coming generation.