X RAY POLARIMETER SATELLITE (XPoSat):

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02 Jan X RAY POLARIMETER SATELLITE (XPoSat):

Posted at 02 Jan 2024 in Current Affairs, Daily Current Affairs for UPSC by
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UPSC MAINS SYLLABUS GS3 PAPER: Achievements of Indians in Science & Technology; Indigenization of Technology and Developing New Technology

WHY IN NEWS? 

ISRO on 1st Jan, 2024 launched XPoSat on PSLV C-58 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota into an eastward low inclination orbit, becoming only Second nation in the world  to send an observatory to study astronomical sources such as black holes, neutron stars among others.

WHAT IS X Ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat)? 

  1. XPoSat is only the second X Ray polarimetry mission in the world, after NASA’s Imaging X ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) launched in 2021.
  2. It is the first dedicated scientific satellite from ISRO to carry out research in space based polarization measurements of Xray emission from celestial sources.
  3. It carries two payloads, namely POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in Xrays) and XSPECT (Xray Spectroscopy and Timing).
  4. POLIX has been developed by the Raman Research Institute and will track Xrays in the 830 kiloelectronvolt (keV) energy range and observe emissions from around 50 sources in five years.
  5. XSPECT by the Space Astronomy Group of URSC, Bengaluru.

 

OTHER MISSIONS LAUNCHED ON PSLV  C-58: 

During the mission, the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module3 (POEM3) experiment was also executed to meet the objective of other payloads developed by start-ups, education institutions and ISRO centres: 

  1. Radiation Shielding Experimental Module (RSEM) by TakeMe2Space
  2. Women Engineered Satellite (WESAT) by LBS Institute of Technology for Women
  3. BeliefSat0 Amateur radio satellite by K.J. Somaiya Institute of Technology
  4. Green Impulse Transmitter (GITA) by Inspecity Space Labs Private Limited
  5. Launching Expeditions for Aspiring Technologies Technology Demonstrator (LEAPTD) by Dhruva Space Private Limited
  6. RUDRA 0.3 HPGP by Bellatrix Aerospace Private Limited
  7.  ISRO Fuel cell Power System (FCPS) by VSSC: FCPS payload is significant as it has potential applications in India’s space station which is proposed to come up by 2035.
  8. ISRO and Sibased High Energy cell by VSSC, ISRO.

OTHER IMPORTANT SPACE MISSIONS OF ISRO IN 2024: 

GAGANYAAN MISSION:

  1. Gaganyaan project envisages demonstration of human spaceflight capability.
  2. It aims to launch crew of 3 members to an orbit of 400 km for a 3 days mission and bring them back safely to earth, by landing in Indian sea waters.
  3. LVM3 rocket – The well proven and reliable heavy lift launcher of ISRO, is identified as the launch vehicle for Gaganyaan mission. It consists of solid stage, liquid stage and cryogenic stage. 

NISAR MISSION: 

  1. NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) is a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) observatory being jointly developed by NASA and ISRO.
  2. NISAR will map the entire globe in 12 days.
  3. It will provide spatially and temporally consistent data for understanding changes in Earth’s ecosystems such as ice mass, vegetation biomass, sea level rise, ground water and natural hazards including earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes and landslides.
  4. It carries L and S dual band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), which operates with Sweep SAR technique to achieve large swath with high resolution data.
  5. NASA is responsible for providing the L-Band SAR payload system in which the ISRO supplied S-Band SAR payload and both these SAR systems will make use of a large size (about 12m diameter) common unfurl able reflector antenna .
  6. In addition, NASA would provide engineering payloads for the mission, including a Payload Data Subsystem, High-rate Science Downlink System, GPS receivers and a Solid State Recorder.
  7. ISRO is responsible for providing the SSAR data handling system, High rate downlink system, spacecraft bus systems, the GSLV launch system and Mission Operations Related Services.

ADITYA L-1: 

  1. Aditya L1 shall be the first space based Indian mission to study the Sun.
  2. The spacecraft shall be placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system, which is about 1.5 million km from the Earth.
  3. A satellite placed in the halo orbit around the L1 point has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultation/eclipses. This will provide a greater advantage of observing the solar activities and its effect on space weather in real time.
  4. The spacecraft carries 7 payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere and the outermost layers of the Sun (the corona) using electromagnetic and particle and magnetic field detector.

PRELIMS 2024 PRACTISE QUESTIONS: 

Q1: Consider the following statements regarding XPoSat launched by ISRO: 

  1. It is a joint mission launched by ISRO & NASA
  2. India became the third country in the world to send an observatory in the space to study astronomical sources
  3. It will provide information related to Black holes & neutron stars

How many of the above statements is/are correct? 

A. Only one

B. Only two

C. All three

D. None of the above

ANSWER : A

Q2: Consider the following statements regarding NISAR mission recently seen in the news: 

  1. It is a joint observatory being launched by NASA & ISRO which will study the entire globe in 12 days
  2. NASA will provide L & S-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)
  3. The GSLV launch system will be provided by ISRO
  4. It will provide temporally consistent data for study of natural hazards such as Earthquake, tsunami & volcano eruptions

How many of the above statements is/are correct? 

A. Only two

B. Only three

C. Only four

D. All five

ANSWER: B

 

 

 

 

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