ISRO’s XPoSat Mission: XSPECT Payload Captures First Light from Cassiopeia A Supernova Remnant

ISRO's XPoSat Mission: XSPECT Payload Captures First Light from Cassiopeia A Supernova Remnant

VoM News Desk | January 11, 2024 | 07:57 PM IST | Breaking News, Space & Research, Technology | Follow on Google News

ISRO’s XPoSat Mission: XSPECT Payload Captures First Light from Cassiopeia A Supernova Remnant

ISRO’s XPoSat Mission: XSPECT Payload Captures First Light from Cassiopeia A Supernova Remnant

ISRO announced that the XSPECT payload on its XPoSat mission, India’s first X-ray polarimetric mission launched on January 1, has successfully captured its first light from the Cassiopeia A (Cas A) supernova remnant. XSPECT’s spectral and temporal studies aim to unveil the universe’s secrets in soft X-rays.

The XPoSat mission carries two co-aligned instruments, POLarimeter Instrument in X-rays (POLIX) and X-ray SPECtroscopy and Timing (XSPECT), dedicated to unraveling mysteries of cosmic X-ray sources. While POLIX investigates X-ray polarization in medium-energy X-rays, XSPECT engages in continuous and long-term spectral and temporal studies of X-ray sources in the soft X-ray band.

During its performance verification phase, XSPECT was directed towards Cassiopeia A, a standard celestial source for instrument evaluation. The observation, which commenced on January 5, 2024, captured the supernova remnant’s emission lines corresponding to elements like Magnesium, Silicon, Sulphur, Argon, Calcium, and Iron.

Developed by the Space Astronomy Group of U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC)/ISRO in Bengaluru, the XSPECT payload’s continuous observations with long-duration capabilities are expected to significantly contribute to understanding high-energy phenomena in the universe.

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