Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has rolled out second Announcement of Opportunity (AO),calling Indian astronomers to submit proposals for analyzing data from X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) mission. Global researchers can now dive into this data,with findings already making waves in top international journals.
Launched January 1,2024,XPoSat is India's first mission focused on X-ray polarimetry. It examines astronomical sources in extreme conditions. Satellite orbits close to equator at 650 kilometers with six-degree tilt,carrying two scientific payloads.
Main instrument,POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays),measures polarization degree and angle of medium-energy X-ray photons from 8 to 30 keV . Meanwhile,XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing) payload gives spectroscopic,timing data in 0.8 to 15 keV range. Current AO seeks proposals using XSPECT,with observations set for September 2026 to March 2027 .
Researchers must submit proposals by July 25. ISRO's push for astronomical research and scientific collaboration…
