On 22 June 2026 ISRO issued its second Announcement of Opportunity (AO) and released XPoSat scientific data into the public domain for global scientific use.
Mission and data access
- AO release: Second AO issued on 22 June 2026 for community proposals.
- Data policy: XPoSat scientific data placed in the public domain.
- Scientific focus: Dedicated X-ray polarimetry to study emission mechanisms of black holes, neutron stars and active galactic nuclei.
Orbit and payloads
- Orbit: 650 km near-equatorial orbit with 6° inclination.
- POLIX: Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays; energy band 8–30 keV.
- XSPECT: X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing instrument; energy band 0.8–15 keV.
Second AO (XSPECT): Key dates & eligibility
- Scope: AO specifically open for XSPECT-based proposals.
- Observation window: Scheduled September 2026–March 2027.
- Deadline: Proposal submission closes 25 July 2026.
- Eligibility: Only Indian scientists or researchers affiliated to Indian institutes, universities or colleges may apply.
IASPOINT Booster Facts
- X-ray polarimetry: Measures orientation and degree of the X-ray electric-vector to constrain emission geometry and magnetic-field structure.
- Technique synergy: Polarimetry combined with spectroscopy and timing distinguishes competing source models.
- Launch date: XPoSat launched 1 January 2024.