Context:
ISRO’s PSLV Orbital Experimental Module-3 (POEM-3) Mission re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere without leaving any debris in orbit.
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- The PSLV-C58 Mission, involved deploying all satellites into their predetermined orbits, following this main objective the final stage of the PSLV rocket was converted into a stabilised platform, known as POEM-3, by employing a 3-axis stabilisation technique.
- POEM-3 flew with nine Payloads from Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) designed to perform technology demonstrations and scientific experiments.
- In the case of POEM-3, employing this technique meant that the final stage of the PSLV rocket was not just passively drifting in space but was actively maintaining a stable orientation which allows it for further experiments.
What is new in POEM?
- The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) played a pivotal role in the development and implementation of the POEM concept by enhancing the fourth stage of the PSLV rocket.
- It uses commercial-grade parts in the computer systems to manage the mission.
- It provides standard connections for electrical power, as well as for sending and receiving data.
- Its advanced navigation techniques use gyroscopes, sun sensors, and magnetometers to accurately determine its position in space.
- It obtains its power from solar panels installed around the PS4 tank, supplemented by a lithium-ion battery.
PSLV-C58 / XPoSat Mission
- ISRO’s PSLV-C58 Mission is to launch the XPOSAT Satellite into an Eastward low-inclination orbit.
• After injection of XPOSAT, the PS4 stage (fourth stage) will be re-started twice to de-orbited from 650 km to 350 km circular orbit to maintain in 3-axis stabilized mode for Orbital Platform (OP) experiments.
- KalamsatV2 (lightest satellite of India) is the first to use PS4 (the fourth stage of the vehicle) as a platform to orbit around the earth.
- XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite) is the first dedicated scientific satellite from ISRO to carry out research in space-based polarisation measurements of X-ray emission from celestial sources.
• Payloads of XPoSat:
- POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays)
- XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing)
- It is the world’s second polarimetry mission using X-ray after NASA’s Imaging Xray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) launched in 2021.
Scientific Goals of the Mission
- To study the distribution of magnetic field, geometric anisotropies, alignment with respect to line of sight, and nature of accelerator in galactic cosmic X-ray sources by measuring the degree of polarization and its angle.
- Structure and geometry of magnetic field of neutron stars, mechanism of X-ray beaming and its relation with luminosity and mass of accretion rate of powered pulsars.