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IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer)

    Main Engine Cuts off, Falcon 9 First Stage Separates

    IXPE spacecraft in space

    The Falcon 9 rocket's nine Merlin engines have finished their burn for main engine cutoff (MECO), and the first stage has separated from the rocket. As the second stage continues carrying IXPE on its flight, the rocket's first stage will attempt a targeted landing on SpaceX's drone ship "Just Read the Directions." That's coming up …

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    Liftoff! IXPE Soars Into the Sky

    IXPE liftoff from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center

    3, 2, 1 … LIFTOFF! NASA's Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) spacecraft lights up the early morning Florida sky as it roars off the launch pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on the agency's first dedicated mission to measuring X-ray polarization. Sandra Connelly, deputy associate administrator for science at NASA Headquarters, stated during the mission's …

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    Final ‘Go’ for IXPE Launch

    NASA Launch Director Tim Dunn gives the final ‘go' for the agency's Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) launch! The Kennedy Space Center skies soon will be lit up as the Falcon 9 rocket fires up to launch the mission into space.

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    Falcon 9 Rocket on Internal Power and Ready to Launch

    Everything is looking great as NASA's Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) spacecraft, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, prepares to launch into the sky from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. We are now just about 5 minutes away from liftoff. NASA Launch Director Tim Dunn reported the rocket is on internal power and it …

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    NASA’s IXPE Mission Nears Liftoff

    IXPE and Falcon 9 rocket on the launch pad

    In just about 10 minutes, the Falcon 9 rocket's nine Merlin engines will roar to life, sending SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and NASA's Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) spacecraft into space. The rocket has been fueled with liquid oxygen and RP-1 – rocket-grade kerosene. The Falcon 9's engines are chilling in preparation for launch. Excitement …

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    Weather Outlook Great, IXPE Locked in for 1 a.m. EST Launch

    The weather outlook for NASA's Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) launch from Kennedy Space Center remains outstanding. Weather officials with Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's 45th Weather Squadron predict a greater than 90% chance of favorable conditions for liftoff of NASA's first dedicated mission to measuring X-ray polarization. Propellant load is underway, which eliminates IXPE's …

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    Fun Facts About NASA’s IXPE Mission

    IXPE spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket

    Here are some fun facts you may not know about NASA's Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) mission: IXPE will study targets over a broad range of types of astronomical X-ray sources with emphasis on black holes and neutron stars. The mission will accomplish, for the first time, high-sensitivity measurements of the polarization of X-rays coming …

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    Live Broadcast of NASA’s IXPE Launch Starts Soon

    NASA's IXPE mission logo

    Tune in to NASA Television, the NASA app, or the agency's website, starting in about 10 minutes (12:30 a.m. EST), for live broadcast coverage of NASA's Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) mission. Liftoff, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy's Launch Complex 39A, is targeted for 1 a.m. EST. The Launch is managed by NASA's Launch …

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    Key Launch Day Milestones for NASA’s IXPE

    NASA's IXPE spacecraft

    Here is a look at some of the key milestones for today's IXPE launch: Mission Timeline (all times approximate) LAUNCH AND SPACECRAFT DEPLOYMENT Time Events 1 a.m. EST Liftoff T+153 sec First stage main engine cutoff (MECO) T+156 sec First and second stages separate T+164 sec Second stage engine start 1 …

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    Weather Looking Great for NASA’s IXPE Launch

    NASA's IXPE mission logo

    The weather outlook for today's early morning launch of NASA's Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) spacecraft from Kennedy Space Center is terrific. Weather officials with Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's 45th Weather Squadron predict a 90% chance of favorable conditions for liftoff, with the cumulus cloud rule serving as the primary weather concern. A collaboration …

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