Question

Difficulty: EasyScience, Emerging Technology, and Space Missions in News

Regarding the X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) mission launched by ISRO, which of the following statements are correct?

  1. It is India's first dedicated space-based observatory designed to study the polarization of X-rays from celestial sources.Answer
  2. Its primary payload, POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays), was developed by the Raman Research Institute in collaboration with ISRO.Answer
  3. C
    The satellite was deployed into a Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) using the LVM3 heavy-lift launch vehicle.
  4. It carries the XSPECT payload to carry out long-term spectral and timing studies of X-ray sources.Answer

Answer

The correct statements are that XPoSat is India's first dedicated X-ray polarimetry space observatory, its POLIX payload was developed by the Raman Research Institute, and its XSPECT payload is designed for X-ray spectroscopy and timing studies in Low Earth Orbit.
XPoSat represents India's landmark scientific endeavor focusing on X-ray polarimetry. Its primary instrument POLIX was developed by the Raman Research Institute, while the XSPECT instrument carries out spectroscopic timing studies of high-energy cosmic sources.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary scientific objective of ISRO's XPoSat mission.
XPoSat is launched to study the degree and angle of polarization of X-rays from cosmic objects like neutron stars and black hole binaries.
This establishes XPoSat as India's first dedicated space mission for polarimetry measurements.
2
Analyze the onboard scientific instruments and institutional contributions.
POLIX was built by Raman Research Institute (RRI) for polarimetry, and XSPECT was built by ISRO's U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) for spectroscopy and timing.
These payload assignments match the official mission configuration.
3
Verify the launch vehicle and target orbit details.
XPoSat was launched by PSLV-C58 into a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at around 650 km with a 6-degree inclination.
Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) and LVM3 heavy-lift deployment details are incorrect for this mission.

Key Concept

ISRO XPoSat mission objectives, payloads (POLIX, XSPECT), and orbital parameters.
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