China To Build Space X-Ray Telescope, Antarctic Observatory

AsianScientist (Aug. 23, 2012) – China is preparing to launch its first space telescope between 2014 and 2016, a top Chinese astronomer, Su Dingqiang (苏定强), has stated.

Su made the announcement on Wednesday at the inaugural ceremony of the 28th general assembly of the International Astronomical Union. Su said at the Beijing conference that the hard X-ray telescope will be used to study black holes.

Su, a former president of the Chinese Astronomical Society who is now attached to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, next declared that China will develop a satellite designated as the Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) to detect high energy electrons as well as another telescope to study the solar magnetic field.

Also on the cards is a joint Sino-French space mission to probe gamma-ray bursts (grb).

In another development, Su announced that Chinese scientists are planning to establish an Antarctic astronomical observatory.

Finally, a Chinese firm will fly a Spanish rover to the moon in June 2014.

The Spanish rover, which belongs to the Barcelona Moon team and is competing for the Google Lunar X Prize contest to the moon, will be launched by a Long March 2C/CTS-2 rocket from China’s Xichang Satellite Launch Center.

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Copyright: Asian Scientist Magazine.
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