XPoSat captures first light from supernova remnant

The XSPECT payload on XPoSat, India's first X-ray polarimetry mission, has captured its first light from the Cassiopeia A (Cas A) supernova remnant, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), said on Thursday.

"The continuous observations facilitated by XSPECT's long-duration capabilities are anticipated to contribute significantly to our understanding of the universe's high-energy phenomena," the space agency said.

Launched on January 1, XPoSat carries two co-aligned instruments, POLarimeter Instrument in X-rays (POLIX) and X-ray SPECtroscopy and Timing (XSPECT), aimed at unravelling the mysteries of cosmic X-ray sources.


While the POLIX instrument focuses on investigating X-ray polarisation in medium-energy X-rays, the XSPECT payload, 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 used for instrument evaluation. "The observation commenced on January 5, capturing the supernova remnant's emission lines corresponding to elements such as Magnesium, Silicon, Sulphur, Argon, Calcium, and Iron," Isro said.

XSPECT payload has been developed by the Space Astronomy Group of UR Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru.