At 15:03 on January 9,2024,China successfully launched the Einstein Probe Science Satellite into orbit using the Long March 2C carrier rocket at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center.The satellite successfully entered its designated orbit and the launch mission was a complete success.
Einstein Probe Satellite is another space science satellite developed and launched by the Chinese Academy of Sciences Space Science Pioneer Project following the"Wukong","Mozi","Insight","Shijian 10","Taiji 1","Huairou 1"and"Kuafu 1".It is the catcher of the explosion of cosmic objects,can accurately capture more distant and dim temporary sources and explosive objects,and explore the X-ray signals from gravitational wave sources,which is of great scientific significance for studying the formation,evolution,merger and other processes of dense objects such as star activity,black holes and neutron stars.
The Einstein probe satellite is designed with a lifespan of 5 years.It uses astronomical time-domain observation methods to conduct high-sensitivity real-time dynamic sky surveys in the soft X-ray band,systematically discovering high-energy transient and dramatic celestial bodies in the universe,monitoring the activity of known celestial bodies,and exploring their essence and physical processes.The Einstein probe satellite was equipped with two payloads,the Wide Field X-ray Telescope(WXT)and the Follow up X-ray Telescope(FXT).For the first time internationally,the"lobster eye"micro hole array focusing imaging technology has been widely used,with internationally leading detection capabilities.It can achieve sensitivity and spatial resolution improvements of 1 to 2 orders of magnitude.While conducting large field of view detection,it can accurately capture distant and weak high-energy transient sources and fleeting unknown phenomena in the universe,and issue warnings to guide other astronomical equipment on Earth and Earth to conduct follow-up observations.
The National Space Science Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is responsible for the overall design of the project and the development and construction of the ground support system,the Institute of Microsatellite Innovation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is responsible for the overall development of the satellite system,the National Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is responsible for the development and construction of the scientific application system,the Xi'an Satellite TT&C Center of China is responsible for the implementation of the TT&C system,and the First Research Institute of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation is responsible for the development and production of the carrier rocket.This launch is the 506th flight of the Long March series of carrier rockets.
Einstein probe satellite launch site
Schematic diagram of Einstein probe satellite in orbit operation
