Kochi: India’s space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has achieved a successful launch of the X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat), dedicated to the in-depth study of black holes. The rocket carrying the observatory took off from the Sriharikota spaceport earlier this week, marking only the world’s second mission of this nature after NASA’s launch in 2021.
With a mission cost of approximately 250 million rupees ($30 million), the XPoSat satellite is designed for a five-year lifespan. ISRO Chairperson S Somanath expressed enthusiasm, stating, “We will have an exciting time ahead” following the successful launch.
The initiative aligns with ISRO’s commitment to expanding scientific knowledge, following their recent achievements, including the Chandrayaan-3 Moon mission and the launch of Aditya-L1 Sun observation mission.
The XPoSat launch is part of ISRO’s broader agenda for 2024, with a focus on Gaganyaan readiness. This project aims to send three astronauts into low-Earth orbit and safely bring them back after three days. ISRO conducted the first in a series of test flights for Gaganyaan in October 2023, targeting a manned mission by 2025.
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