China to launch retrievable satellite to probe dark matter

November 01, 2015 11:46

China will launch a series of scientific satellites including a retrievable one to probe 'dark matter' from later this year, officials said today.

The development of four scientific satellites is going well, National Space Science Centre's director Wu Ji under the Chinese Academy of Sciences said at an event to mark the 10th anniversary of cooperation between China's Double Star space mission and the European Space Agency's Cluster mission to investigate the earth's magnetosphere.

The first of the series, the dark matter particle explorer, will be launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China at the end of this year.

All the major tests and experiments have been completed, and a mission control centre for scientific satellites has been set up in Huairou, a northern suburb of Beijing, Wu said.

The dark-matter particle explorer satellite will observe the direction, energy and electric charge of high-energy particles in space in search of dark matter, chief scientist of the project Chang Jin said.

It will have the widest observation spectrum and highest energy resolution of any dark-matter probe in the world.

Dark matter is one of the most important mysteries of physics. Scientists believe in its existence based on the law of universal gravitation, but have never directly detected it.

« Back to LIVE

TOP STORIES

Woman alleges rape on express train in Thane

A case has been registered against an unidentified person for allegedly raping a woman after rendering her unconscious onboard an express train in Maharashtra's Thane district, an official from the Government Railway Police (GRP) said on...

Maliwal reacts as CCTV footage from Kejriwal's house emerges

The 'political hitman' has started making efforts to save himself, Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal said on Friday as purported CCTV footage from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence surfaced online.

Supreme Court recalls its own April 2022 verdict

A judgment of a Constitution bench would be "binding" on benches of lesser strength, the Supreme Court has said while recalling an April 2022 verdict delivered by it.

'You Can Feel Buddha's Teaching In Ladakhi Culture'

'I have nostalgia for Ladakhi culture, which is common to both Muslims and Buddhists.' 'It is kind of a Buddhist way of life. You are compassionate and nice to each other.' 'You are good human beings.'

Air India plane hits luggage tractor at Pune airport

A Delhi-bound Air India flight had to abort its take-off and was later cancelled after it hit a luggage tractor trolley while taxiing for departure at the Pune airport, airline sources said on Friday.