IXPE

Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer

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General

Designation	49954 / 21121A
Launch date	8 Dec 2021
Country of origin	United States
Mission	Scientific: X-ray astronomy
Perigee/Apogee	595/610 km
Inclination	0.2°
Period	96.6 min
Launch vehicle	Falcon 9 #139

For NASA with support from Ball Aerospace, the ASI, Colorado university among others

XPE carries three 0.27m space telescopes with special polarisation-sensitive detectors. Polarisation is a property of light that holds clues to the environment from which the light originates. The new mission builds on and complements the scientific discoveries of other telescopes, including the Chandra X-ray Observatory, NASA's flagship X-ray telescope.

Officially commissioned in Jan 2022.

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Technical data

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Specifications

Prime contractor	Ball Aerospace
Platform	BCP-100
Mass at launch	330 kg
Dry mass
Dimension
Solar array
Stabilization
DC power
Design lifetime

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