Watch NASA s IXPE Observatory Launch Into Space — Official Live Broadcast

We re sending a new pair of X-ray eyes into the universe! NASA s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) is our first satellite dedicated to measuring the polarization of X-rays. Polarized light is made up of electric fields that vibrate in a single direction—and IXPE s state-of-the-art X-ray vision will help scientists study the spin of black holes, the magnetic fields of pulsars, and other cosmic phenomena. IXPE is targeted to launch at 1:00 a.m. EST, Dec. 9 (06:00 UTC), aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Learn more about the mission at: http://www.nasa.gov/ixpe