🛰️ ISRO Opens XPoSat Observatory to Indian Scientists: A New Era of Space-Based X-Ray Astronomy

In a major step toward strengthening India’s space research ecosystem, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced its first-ever “Announcement of Opportunity (AO)” for the XPoSat mission, inviting Indian scientists and research institutions to submit proposals for X-ray observational studies.

The X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat), launched in January 2024, marks India’s first dedicated space observatory for X-ray polarization studies. Now, ISRO has opened the observatory to the wider scientific community, enabling researchers to access data and plan new experiments through the mission’s guest-observer program.

🔬 About XPoSat and Its Objectives

XPoSat carries two primary instruments:

POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) – developed by the Raman Research Institute (RRI), Bengaluru, designed to measure the degree and angle of X-ray polarization in the 8–30 keV energy range.

XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing) – built by UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), focuses on studying the spectral and temporal variability of cosmic X-ray sources.

Together, these payloads allow scientists to explore high-energy astrophysical phenomena such as:
🌟 Neutron stars
🌟 Black hole binaries
🌟 Active galactic nuclei (AGNs)
🌟 Magnetars and pulsars

By measuring polarization, XPoSat provides a new dimension of information — revealing how X-rays are emitted and scattered, and offering insights into magnetic fields, accretion processes, and particle acceleration mechanisms in extreme cosmic environments.

🧑🔬 Opportunity for the Indian Research Community

The new Announcement of Opportunity (AO) invites researchers from Indian universities, institutes, and observatories to propose studies that can utilize XPoSat’s observations. The initiative aims to:

Promote collaborative astrophysics research in India

Build expertise in high-energy data analysis and modeling

Encourage participation from emerging researchers and PhD scholars

Approved proposals will gain access to mission data through ISRO’s Space Science Data Centre (ISSDC), with support for data calibration and analysis tools.

🚀 A Step Toward India’s Scientific Independence in Space

With this move, India joins a select group of nations—like the U.S. (with NASA’s IXPE) and Japan (with AstroSat and Hitomi)—that actively engage their national research communities in space science missions. XPoSat represents ISRO’s growing commitment to “Atmanirbharta in Space Science”, blending indigenous technology with open scientific collaboration.

As Indian astrophysicists prepare to dive into the universe’s most energetic secrets, the XPoSat AO marks not just a mission milestone — but a gateway to a new era of discovery.