Demo
    Diagram of a space telescope highlighting parts such as mirror module assemblies, mirror module support structure, deployable payload boom, and 3 gas pixel detectors.
    X-ray vision: Astronomers plan to de-cloak cosmic features with the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer, the first spacecraft dedicated purely to measuring the tell-tale direction of polarization of incoming X-rays.
    Diagram of an X-ray detector showing the path of an X-ray photon, interaction with gas molecules, electron multiplication and collection, and resulting electronic signal for polarization analysis.
    5 steps to measure X-ray polarization: Three identical 15-by-15-mm polarization-sensitive gas pixel detectors provided by the Italian Space Agency will create images that show the polarization direction of X-rays reflected from IXPE's three identical telescopes.