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NASA's New X-Ray Observatory Rocketed Into Orbit

CAPE CANAVERAL (CBSMiami/AP) — NASA's newest X-ray observatory, which shed light on black holes, exploded stars, and other violent high energy events, rocketed into orbit Thursday morning.

SpaceX launched the spacecraft on its $188 million mission from Kennedy Space Center. It's called IXPE, short for Imaging X-ray Polarization Explorer.

Scientists said the observatory — actually three telescopes in one — will unveil the most dramatic and extreme parts of the universe as never before.

"IXPE is going to open a new window on the X-ray sky," Brian Ramsey, NASA's deputy principal scientist, said this week.

Operations should begin next month. NASA is partnering with the Italian Space Agency on the project.

(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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