"India's XpoSat Mission: Launching 2024's Quest to Decode Black Holes"

India's ISRO successfully launched the XPoSAT satellite on New Year's Day with the mission to study black holes and neutron stars. The launch marked the 60th flight of the PSLV and placed the satellite into a 650 km orbit with a 6-degree inclination. XPoSAT, which cost approximately $30 million, carries instruments to measure X-ray polarisation and will contribute to understanding the universe's most extreme environments. This mission reinforces India's growing capabilities in space exploration, following the success of the Chandrayaan mission and ahead of the anticipated Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme.