NASA’s award to SpaceX for the launch contract for their future X-ray telescope, the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE), points to SpaceX’s growing launch profile options for customers. This spacecraft would normally be a Pegasus mission due to its orbital requirements. However, SpaceX offered the capability via Falcon 9 and at a lower cost. IXPE – to be built by Ball Aerospace, who recently completed the spacecraft’s design review – is slated to launch on a Falcon 9 from LC-39A in April 2021.
Search results for