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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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

NASA's Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) mission sounds cool, and even has a catchy name. But what is IXPE's goal and how did the project come about? Here is a more in-depth look at IXPE, NASA's first satellite dedicated to measuring X-ray polarization. IXPE is going to explore some of the most extreme and mysterious …

Happy late Wednesday evening, and welcome to live coverage of NASA's Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) spacecraft mission from Florida's Space Coast! Standing tall atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, IXPE is set to lift off from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A in just about 90 minutes (1 a.m. EST, Thursday, Dec. 9). The …

Float with NASA's Fleet at Lagrange Point 1! Greetings from Lagrange Point 1, or L1, the 6th stop on our solar tour! This is a special place between Earth and the Sun where their gravitational forces are balanced. It's a great spot for spacecraft because they'll stay put between the two objects and orbit with …