China reported that the launch of its first X-ray space telescope, named Insight, was a success.
China reported that the launch of its first X-ray space telescope was a success. The event took place on June 15 and saw the take off of a Long March-4B rocket, carrying the X-ray satellite. This is set to be used in analyzing and studying pulsars, gamma-ray bursts, and black holes.
First Chinese X-Ray Space Telescope Ready for Use
The Xinhua News Agency offered additional details of the launch. According to these media reports, the rocket took off from the Juiquan Satellite Launch Center located in the northwest of China’s Gobi Desert. The launch occurred at around 11 a.m. local hours, on June 15.
The X-ray Space Telescope is an HXMT (Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope) and has been titled “Insight”. Its purpose is to help Chinese scientists gain further insight into space and its mysteries. Researchers will be using Insight to study black holes and try and understand their evolution.
Also, it will be used to seek to assess the interior of magnetic fields. Thanks to the new telescope, scientists could also take a closer look at pulsars. It can try and determine how these could be used for spacecraft navigation. Insight could also be useful in keeping ‘an eye out’ for gamma-ray bursts that correspond to gravitational waves recorded by the telescope.
The Xinhua release also quoted Zhang Shuangnan, the mission’s lead scientist, as saying that Insight will help “see” into a black hole. More exactly, although black holes are mostly undetectable, the researchers will be making use of the X-ray emitted by matter as it falls into such a black hole. They will also be following this same matter as it gets heated and accelerated within the hole.
Insight is expected to help advance the development of space astronomy in China. It should also contribute to improving the country’s space X-ray detection technology. The X-ray space telescope is also equipped accordingly.
This small observatory in space will carry a trio of detectors: the HE, ME, and LE. Namely, the high energy, medium energy, and low energy X-ray telescopes.
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