NASA’s Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) mission launched at 1 a.m. EST Thursday on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
A joint effort with the Italian Space Agency, the IXPE observatory is NASA’s first mission dedicated to measuring the polarization of X-rays from the most extreme and mysterious objects in the universe – supernova remnants, supermassive black holes, and dozens of other high-energy objects.
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We have signal acquisition, meaning teams are now communicating with NASA’s Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) spacecraft, as it embarks on its two-year journey to study changes in the polarization of X-ray light through some of the universe’s most extreme sources, including black holes, dead stars known as pulsars, and more.
“Everything has gone smoothly; we just crossed over Africa and acquired signal of the spacecraft,” said NASA Senior Launch Director Omar Baez. “They’ll start exposing the solar rays and doing their deployments, so you can’t ask for any better than that.”
NASA’s Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) spacecraft just reached a major milestone as it successfully separated from the second stage of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.
IXPE will now continue on its journey to study changes in the polarization of X-ray light through some of the universe’s most extreme sources, including black holes, dead stars known as pulsars, and more.
Click here to learn more about the IXPE mission.
We have successful second engine cutoff (SECO) for NASA’s Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) spacecraft.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage completed a perfect landing, touching down on the company’s “Just Read the Directions” drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean off of the Florida coast.
Coming up next will be second engine cutoff, or SECO .
The Falcon 9 rocket’s nine Merlin engines have finished their burn for main engine cutoff (MECO), and the first stage has separated from the rocket.
As the second stage continues carrying IXPE on its flight, the rocket’s first stage will attempt a targeted landing on SpaceX’s drone ship “Just Read the Directions.” That’s coming up shortly.
3, 2, 1 … LIFTOFF! NASA’s Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) spacecraft lights up the early morning Florida sky as it roars off the launch pad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on the agency’s first dedicated mission to measuring X-ray polarization.
Sandra Connelly, deputy associate administrator for science at NASA Headquarters, stated during the mission’s prelaunch media conference: “Understanding our galaxy and our place in the universe is awe inspiring and we want to make sure that we’re inspiring the future generation of our scientists and engineers.”
IXPE is now on its way to play a part in doing just that. Stay right here on the blog, or tune in to NASA Television, the NASA app, or the agency’s website to watch the spacecraft and rocket eclipse more launch milestones.
NASA Launch Director Tim Dunn gives the final ‘go’ for the agency’s Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) launch!
The Kennedy Space Center skies soon will be lit up as the Falcon 9 rocket fires up to launch the mission into space.
Everything is looking great as NASA’s Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) spacecraft, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, prepares to launch into the sky from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. We are now just about 5 minutes away from liftoff.
NASA Launch Director Tim Dunn reported the rocket is on internal power and it is ready to launch. Stage 1 launch load is complete.
In just about 10 minutes, the Falcon 9 rocket’s nine Merlin engines will roar to life, sending SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and NASA’s Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) spacecraft into space. The rocket has been fueled with liquid oxygen and RP-1 – rocket-grade kerosene. The Falcon 9’s engines are chilling in preparation for launch.
Excitement is building as IXPE, NASA’s first dedicated mission to measuring X-ray polarization, nears launch. IXPE will study changes in the polarization of X-ray light through some of the universe’s most extreme sources, including black holes, dead stars known as pulsars, and more.
