IXPE: Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer

Investigating physics in the extreme environments of black holes and neutron stars

Slated to launch in 2021, NASA’s Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) mission will allow astronomers to discover, for the first time, the hidden details of some of the most exotic astronomical objects in our universe. IXPE is part of NASA's Astrophysics Explorers Program and is led by Principal Investigator, Martin Weisskopf. A collaboration between NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, the Italian Space Agency and Ball Aerospace, IXPE is the first space mission dedicated to observing polarized X-rays from extreme objects such as neutron stars, stellar and super massive black holes. This space-based astrophysics observatory aims to help scientists understand the fundamental physics of extreme celestial objects and the physical phenomena that have never been explored.

IXPE will enable the measurement of X-ray polarization

IXPE will introduce the capability for X-ray polarimetric imaging, which will enable the measurement of X-ray polarization with scientifically meaningful spatial, spectral and temporal resolution, to address NASA’s science goal "to probe the origin and destiny of our universe, including the nature of black holes, dark energy, dark matter, and gravity."

For example, this mission will allow for a new and unique way of measuring the geometry of extreme magnetic fields over a wide range of spatial scales, from the polar jets of Active Galactic Nuclei, to the near-surface of extremely magnetic neutron stars called “magnetars”.


What we’re doing

Utilizing a highly-integrated team of engineers, technicians and scientists, Ball will provide the Ball Configurable Platform (BCP) spacecraft, mechanical and structural elements of the payload, observatory assembly, integration and test, and mission operations for IXPE.

As the spacecraft provider, Ball will leverage its BCP heritage, a satellite bus that has a history of exceeding mission design life. The BCP has a broad spectrum of capabilities, is highly-reliable and has proven stability and pointing performance, which are essential for astrophysics missions. For example, the versatile BCP line has flown in a variety of orbits with a wide assortment of payloads, including electro-optical payloads (imagers, spectrometers and photometers) with high-accuracy pointing requirements such as NASA’s Kepler telescope.
Similar to NASA’s Kepler mission, students and professionals will operate the IXPE spacecraft from the University of Colorado Boulder’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP).