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The first astronomical satellite jointly developed by China and France, the Space Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM) satellite, was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China’s Sichuan Province
About Space Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM) satellite
- The Space Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM) is carrying four instruments — two French, two Chinese — that will seek out gamma-ray bursts, the light from which has travelled billions of light years to reach earth.
Source: Wikipedia - The China National Space Administration described the SVOM mission as an “exemplary” example of space cooperation.
- The SVOM satellite, weighing 930 kilograms and equipped with instruments from both countries, aims to detect and study gamma-ray bursts, which are extremely bright cosmic events resulting from massive star explosions or compact star mergers.
- Gamma-ray bursts emit energy comparable to over a billion billion suns and carry information about the cosmic environments they traverse.
- This data is critical for understanding the formation and transformation of galaxies and gas clouds.
- SVOM aims to uncover several mysteries associated with gamma-ray bursts, including detecting the most distant and earliest bursts in the universe’s history.
- SVOM has the potential to unravel several mysteries in the field of (gamma-ray bursts), including detecting the most distant GRBs in the universe, which correspond to the earliest GRBs.
- This project marks a cooperation between the French and Chinese space agencies, along with other scientific and technical organizations from both nations.
- Despite limited space collaboration between China and Western countries due to US restrictions on
technology transfer, this partnership exemplifies successful international scientific cooperation. - Earlier in 2018, China and France launched CFOSAT, an oceanographic satellite, and several European nations have participated in China’s Chang’e lunar exploration missions.
- While such collaborations are rare, they highlight the growing scientific cooperation between China and Western countries.
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