國家航天局CNSA –China National Space Administration China, People’s Republic of China plans to launch the Einstein probe at the end of this year China plans to launch a new X-ray astronomical satellite, the Einstein probe, at the end of 2023. It is expected to capture the first ray of light from a supernova explosion and help search and precise positioning the source of gravitational waves, discovering more distant, fainter celestial objects and fleeting mysterious phenomena in the universe. The satellite project has entered the final stage of positive development.
The X-ray Imaging Laboratory of the National Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has been developing lobster eye X-ray imaging technology since 2010. After years of key technology research, it finally made a breakthrough, fully mastered the technology, and has completely independent intellectual property rights. The team carried out the test and verification of this technology on the space new technology test satellite launched in July 2022, and obtained and publicly released the wide-field X-ray focused imaging sky map for the first time in the world.
Yuan Weimin, the chief scientist of the Einstein Probe Satellite and a researcher at the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, introduced at the recently held 35th National Space Exploration Symposium that the satellite project has entered the final development stage.
Inspired by the peculiar focusing imaging principle of lobster eyes, scientists have designed a special new type of X-ray telescope, which has a large observation field of view and higher detection sensitivity.
“That is to say, this kind of telescope can see the darker and farther universe while seeing a wide range. It is thanks to the lobster eye telescope technology that the Einstein Probe satellite can see the currently known universe.” There are very few soft X-ray bands for large-field, high-sensitivity, and fast time-domain survey monitoring.” Yuan Weimin said.
The X-ray Imaging Laboratory of the National Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has been developing lobster eye X-ray imaging technology since 2010. After years of key technology research, it finally made a breakthrough, fully mastered the technology, and has completely independent intellectual property rights. The team carried out the test and verification of this technology on the space new technology test satellite launched in July 2022, and obtained and publicly released the wide-field X-ray focused imaging sky map for the first time in the world
Images and visuals are from their Respectives CMS China Manned SpaceCNSA-China National Space Administration