The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE), a NASA/ASI mission, is the first satellite dedicated to study the polarization of cosmic sources in the X-ray band, reopening this observing window after a gap of four decades. Launched in December 2021, in its first year of operation is providing several very interesting - and in some cases rather surprising - results on many different classes of X-ray sources. In this talk, the mission will be described and the most important results presented. Future possible directions for X-ray polarimetry will be also briefly discussed.