The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has begun the countdown for the launch of the PSLV-C58/XPoSat rocket, scheduled for 9:10 AM IST on Monday (January 1) 2024. The countdown for this launch will start in 2023 at 8:10 AM on Sunday (December 31) and the rocket will be launched in 2024 at 9:10 AM on Monday (January 1) 2024.
XPoSat Mission to Study Black Holes and Neutron Stars
The 44-meter tall rocket will be launched from the first launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), carrying the XPoSat satellite (Extreme Polarization X-ray Satellite), which is India’s first dedicated polarization measurement mission to study the different dynamics of bright astronomical X-ray sources in extreme conditions. The XPoSat satellite consists of two scientific payloads that will be placed in low Earth orbit. The primary payload POLIX (Polarimetric X-ray Imaging experiment) will measure polarization parameters (degree and angle of polarization) in the medium energy X-ray band of 8-30 kiloelectron volts from astronomical sources. The XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing) payload will provide spectral information in the energy range of 0.8-15 kiloelectron volts.
Using the PSLV’s Final Stage as a Stable Orbital Platform
After the 22-minute mission, the 469-kilogram satellite will be placed in an orbit at an altitude of 650 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. Once the satellite is in the intended orbit, the PSLV’s final stage (PS4) will be lowered to a lower orbit of 350 kilometers by restarting the engines in two cases. Once it reaches the 350-kilometer orbit, the hazardous fuels and chemicals stored in the upper stage tanks will be frozen. The freezing process is a step to prevent any potential explosions or disintegration of stored materials. This is a measure aimed at ensuring the sustainable use of space.
PSLV-C58 and Its Track Record
This launch will be the 60th flight of the PSLV, which is considered the most frequently used rocket in India’s space fleet. Since its inception in 1993, the rocket has achieved a success rate of over 98%. The PSLV is responsible for placing most of the Indian satellites and the satellites of clients launched by ISRO. It has built a good reputation for successfully performing high-profile missions including Chandrayaan-1, Mars Orbiter, and Aditya-L1 missions.
Other Scientific Missions by ISRO
This XPoSat mission is the third scientific mission launched by ISRO within six months. On July 14, 2023, ISRO successfully launched the high-profile Chandrayaan-3 mission, which delivered far more than initially expected. On September 2, ISRO successfully launched the Aditya-L1 spacecraft, India’s first solar observatory. The Aditya spacecraft is expected to reach its destination in the first week of January 2024. In the first quarter of 2024, a GSLV (formerly known as GSLV Mark2) will launch the Synthetic Aperture Radar Earth Observation Satellite in collaboration with NASA (NISAR), aimed at assisting the study of natural phenomena of Earth, climate change, land mass, ice cover, forest coverage, oceans, etc.
Source: Sidharth MP
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