In anticipation of the launch of a joint space observatory, France is planning to ship China a pair of cutting-edge scientific instruments.
A partnership between the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and the Centre national d’études spatiales resulted in the creation of the space-based multi-band astronomy Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM) in 2014. (CNES).
By sensing high-energy electromagnetic radiation in the X-ray and gamma-ray ranges, the satellite will be watching out for brief and highly violent cosmic explosions known as gamma-ray bursts.
In the joint expedition, China will provide the Visible Telescope (VT), which will search for light emitted in optical wavelengths directly following a gamma-ray burst (GRB) event, and the Gamma Ray Burst Monitor (GRM), which will measure the spectrum of emissions from GRBs.
The Microchannel X-ray Telescope (MXT), which uses novel “lobster eye(opens in new tab)” optics to enable a wide field of vision, and the ECLAIRs telescope were both developed by France.
The 2,050-pound (930-kg) spacecraft is now scheduled to launch in December from the Xichang spaceport in southwest China on a Long March 2C rocket.
The two payloads are now prepared to journey to China for integration with the satellite, according to the mission’s Twitter account, which made the announcement on February 21(opens in new tab).
The SVOM spacecraft was created in China by the Shanghai Engineering Center for Microsatellites. Its initial mission is expected to last three years, with a potential extension of another two years.
China and France will both contribute to the ground portion of the mission, which will be used to direct the spacecraft, gather scientific data, and plan GRB followup observations.
The National Astronomical Observatory of China (NAOC), Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP), Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP) in France, National Astronomical Observatory of China (NAOC), Leicester University in the UK, and National Autonomous University of Mexico are all part of the mission consortium (UNAM).
