The blazar BL Lacertae, a giant black hole with jets, facing the earth, have made scientists curious about how X-rays are generated in such extreme conditions for a while. NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer or IXPE now might have been able to solve the mystery. By a collaboration with radio and optical telescopes and using polarisation measurements of X-ray, IXPE’s produced results indicates that the interaction between fast-moving electrons and photons might be the reason for X-ray emission in such conditions.

Evidence of Compton Scattering

According to the IXPE’s findings, high optical to X-ray polarization ratio indicates that Compton scattering might be the mechanism of X-ray generation. There are two possible and competing explanations of X-ray emission in blazar jets. One saying if the X-rays in the black hole jets are highly polarised, then the X-rays are generated from interactions between photons while the other says a low polarisation indicates X-ray formation by electron-photon interaction.

Leveraging IXPE’s unique X-ray polarisation measuring ability, scientists conducted a focused observation on BL Lac in November 2023. During this period, BL Lac’s optical polarization peaked at 47.5%, the highest recorded for any blazar. Yet IXPE found the X-ray polarization to be much lower, capped at 7.6%. This contrast supports the Compton scattering and possibly irradicates the photon-based explanation.

Milestone for blazar studies

“This was one of the biggest mysteries about supermassive black hole jets,” said Iván Agudo, lead author of the study and astronomer at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía – CSIC in Spain. The discovery validates IXPE’s mission, launched in December 2021 to study X-ray polarization.

Astrophysicist Enrico Costa, called it one of IXPE’s most significant achievements. Yet, this is just the beginning. Project scientist Steven Ehlert noted the need to observe more blazars, as their emissions vary over time. With IXPE, astronomers are now better equipped to explore these powerful cosmic jets.

SpaceX continued its rapid-fire Starlink deployment campaign on Tuesday night (May 6), lofting 28 more internet satellites to orbit atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The launch itself took place at 9:17 p.m. EDT (0117 GMT on May 7) from Launch Complex-40, marking the company’s 53rd Falcon 9 launch of 2025 and the 36th dedicated Starlink mission this year. The payload offers worldwide internet connectivity by adding to SpaceX’s swiftly expanding array of over 7,200 Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit.

SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches 28 Starlink Satellites, Booster Lands Smoothly at Sea

As per a Space.com report, B1085, the reusable first-stage booster, executed a perfect main engine cut about 2.5 minutes after launch, then stage separation and a retrograde burn to stop its descent. Roughly eight minutes after launch, B1085 successfully landed on the autonomous drone ship, stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. The mission was the seventh flight for this particular booster, which had previously supported two other Starlink missions.

The Falcon 9‘s upper stage continued into orbit and deployed the 28 Starlink satellites roughly one hour after launch. These newly deployed units will spend several days adjusting their positions before integrating into the broader Starlink network, which now blankets most of the globe except the polar regions. Each satellite, compact but equipped with large solar arrays, forms part of the larger web responsible for delivering high-speed satellite internet.

The May 6 launch demonstrates how quickly SpaceX is moving to meet its broadband goals. In addition to Falcon 9 missions, the company has performed two Starship test flights this year to demonstrate development progress in both satellite launch and heavy-lift capability.

An expanding constellation would finally bring reliable internet coverage to remote locations around the world. The drive to offer a reliable internet connection to remote sites globally reflects a commitment to putting the world more in reach.

SpaceX has received approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to increase the launch rate of its Starship rocket to up to 25 launches a year from its Starbase facility in South Texas. On May 6, the FAA published a final environmental assessment that found that the expansion of Starship operations would not have a significant environmental impact on the area. The landings are approved for an equal number for each stage — the Super Heavy and upper-stage Starship vehicle — at the same facility, representative of a significant advancement in SpaceX’s ultimate goals for rapid rocket reusability and deep space travel.

FAA Clears Path for SpaceX to Scale Up Starship Launches Without Further Environmental Review

As per the FAA’s 53-page document titled Mitigated Finding of No Significant Impact and Record of Decision, the proposed expansion meets the environmental compliance standards set under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The agency determined that a full environmental impact statement was unnecessary, confirming previous assessments outlined in a draft released last November. SpaceX’s operator licence has now been officially modified to support the ramped-up cadence of launches and landings without requiring further environmental review.

SpaceX has reached a regulatory milestone as it continues to test and refine its Starship system, the largest and most powerful rocket ever built. The vehicle is designed for rapid reusability and long-term missions to the Moon and Mars. In terms of sustainability and long-term estimation, Elon Musk’s time-and-frequency focus is a game changer for space travel.

Starship, a Super Heavy booster, will have two flights in 2025, one in January and one in March. Despite the mishaps, the upper-stage ship has returned to the tower, raining debris on the Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas. The ninth planned flight, under construction now, has fully tested its engines.

The FAA’s decision clears the way for SpaceX to continue to scale operations at Starbase, as one major regulatory obstacle has been removed. By observers’ estimates, expect to see an even more aggressive flight cadence from SpaceX, which will be testing for Mars systems and working toward less encumbered regulatory paths.