The satellite, jointly developed by China and France, was launched from the Jizong Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province on Saturday (June 22).
It is the most powerful satellite for studying gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), which are the result of some of the most explosive events in the universe, such as the birth of black holes and neutron star collisions, Chinese television news said.
Called the Space Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM), the spacecraft is expected to play an important role in astronomy. It is the first astronomical satellite jointly developed by China and France. In 2018, the two countries jointly developed and launched an oceanographic satellite. Here we will look at SVOM project.
But first, why study gamma-ray bursts?
GRBs are bursts of highly energetic gamma rays that last from a second to several minutes. They occur in the farthest reaches of the universe and “explode about a quintillion (10 and 18 zeros) times the luminosity of the Sun,” according to NASA.
There are two types of GRBs, short GRBs and long GRBs. is Short GRBs are the result of the collision of two neutron stars or a neutron star and a black hole, resulting in a black hole.
They last less than two seconds. Sometimes, short GRBs are followed by kilonovae – bursts of electromagnetic radiation (or light) produced by the radioactive decay of chemical elements. This decay can lead to the formation of heavier elements such as gold, silver and platinum, according to NASA.
Long GRBs are caused by the explosions and deaths of massive stars. These last for two seconds or more.
Scientists study GRBs as they carry information about events such as the explosion of massive stars, the formation of black holes in distant galaxies, and how they shape the universe.
What does SVOM do?
SVOM’s primary mission is to search for GRBs throughout the Universe. Once they are found, the satellite will measure and study their electromagnetic radiation properties.
It will use explosions to unlock mysteries about the evolution of the universe and gravitational waves (scientists have observed that both gravitational waves and GRBs originate from collisions of neutron stars).
“Once the satellite detects traces of gamma-ray bursts, it will send the information to ground control within a minute…After receiving that notification, ground control will inform ground control-based observatories around the world. These are integrated detections with the spacecraft,” said a scientist at the National Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and China’s principal investigator of the SVOM mission. Wei Jianyan said in a statement.
What are the features of SVOM?
The 930 kg satellite carries four payloads. It was jointly developed by 2 Chinese nationals and 2 French nationals.
The French have built the ECLAIRs and MXT telescopes to detect and capture GRBs. The Gamma Ray Burst Monitor (GRB), developed by the Chinese, measures the spectrum of GRBs. The Visible Telescope (VT), developed by the Chinese, detects and monitors the emission immediately after the GRB.
The satellite is positioned in low earth orbit at an altitude of 625 km with a 96-minute orbit.
