NASA's Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer

Launched into Earth orbit on Dec. 9, 2021, the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE for short) is NASA’s first mission dedicated to measuring the polarization of X-rays from the most extreme and mysterious objects in the universe  —  supernova remnants, black holes, active galaxies, and more. This model shows the fully deployed spacecraft at approximately 1/31 scale.