China and France Launch SVOM Satellite to Study Gamma-Ray Bursts on Saturday

Jun 22, 2024, 09:40 AM

China and France have successfully launched a joint astronomical satellite designed to study gamma-ray bursts, which are the most distant explosions of stars in the universe. The satellite, developed over nearly 20 years of collaboration between Chinese and French scientists, lifted off on a Long March-2C rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province on Saturday afternoon. The mission aims to capture and observe gamma-ray bursts, which occur after the explosion of massive stars and can release energy equivalent to that of a supernova. The project, known as the Sino-French Astronomical Satellite or SVOM (Space-based Variable Objects Monitor), is expected to provide valuable insights into the farthest reaches of the universe, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).