According to the "Hindustan Times" report, on January 1, local time, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully launched the country's first scientific satellite XPoSat for studying black holes. Indian Prime Minister Modi said that this launch means that India has made a "good start" in 2024 and will help strengthen India's strength in the space field.
XPoSat stands for "X-ray Polarimeter Satellite" (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite). Its main mission is to detect X-ray radiation emitted by black holes and other celestial bodies. At around 9:10 a.m. local time on the 1st, the PSLV-C58 carrier rocket carrying the XPoSat satellite was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in central India, successfully placing the satellite into low-Earth orbit.
According to reports, XPoSat is equipped with two scientific instruments. POLIX is used to measure the X-ray polarization of about 50 potential targets in the universe in the 8-30keV energy band, and XSPECT is used to long-term study of the spectrum and time variation of X-ray sources in the 0.8-15keV energy band. The satellite costs nearly US$30 million and has an expected lifespan of five years.
On January 1, India launched XPoSat, the first scientific satellite to study black holes. Source: Visual China
"The Indian Express" stated that the measurement and study of X-ray polarization can provide clues about bright X-ray sources, the properties of X-ray radiation and the complex processes that X-rays undergo in the universe, and help scientists improve their understanding of celestial bodies such as black holes and neutron stars.
After the success of the XPoSat launch, Indian Prime Minister Modi expressed congratulations through social media, saying that the launch was a "good start" for India in 2024. "This launch is good news for the aerospace sector and will enhance India's strength in the space field. I extend my best wishes to ISRO and the entire space industry."
In recent years, India has made certain progress in the field of space exploration. In August 2023, the Indian lunar probe "Chandrayaan-3" successfully landed on the moon, making India the fourth country to achieve a soft landing on the moon after the United States, the Soviet Union and China.
In September 2023, India launched its first solar probe "Aditya-L1". The probe is equipped with seven payloads and will study the three key parts of the sun's photosphere, chromosphere and corona. The probe is expected to take four months to travel to the Sun-Earth Lagrange L1 point, and then officially launch the solar exploration mission.
ISRO Chairman Somanat said on the 1st that the "Helios-L1" probe will make its final maneuver and arrive at its destination on the afternoon of January 6, local time. Somanath said that the scientific instruments on board the probe have been tested and are "in good working condition." "As long as the electronic equipment inside the satellite is normal and ready to transmit data, the satellite will keep staring at the sun."