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Black hole explorer
NASA has just signed a contract with SpaceX to launch what it calls a "revolutionary astrophysical mission": the mission of NASA's NASA Imaging Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE), which could one day allow astronomers to discover the mysteries of black holes and neutron stars.
The mission, with a budget of $ 50.3 million, plans to launch three space telescopes capable of analyzing the polarization of cosmic X-rays. With this type of data, we could discover how the supermassive black holes or nebulae of the pulsar wind – the windstorms following the supernovae – are formed.
Revealing physics
The IXPE mission was selected in 2017 as one of NASA's small astrophysics missions.
"We can not directly imagine what is happening near objects like black holes and neutron stars, but the study of the polarization of X-rays emitted by their surrounding environment reveals the physics of these enigmatic objects, "said Paul Hertz, director of astrophysics division of NASA. a statement at the time. The project, he said, "will open a new window on the universe for astronomers."
A preliminary launch date is set for April 2021 on a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A in Florida. It is unlikely to absorb the entire payload of the rocket, SpaceNews.com points out.
READ MORE: SpaceX has a contract with NASA for the launch of a research vessel on black holes and neutron stars[[[[TechCrunch]
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