China has initiated the deployment of the “lobster eye” Einstein Probe to unravel the enigmas of the X-ray universe.
On the early morning of January 9, China successfully launched its Einstein Probe (EP) using a Long March 2C rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. (CASC) confirmed the launch’s success shortly after liftoff.
The EP, a crucial component of China’s expanding strategic space science initiatives, is designed to observe violent cosmic events such as tidal disruption events, supernovae, and detect high-energy electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational wave events over a minimum period of three years.
Operating in a 600-kilometer altitude, 29-degree inclination orbit, the 1,450-kilogram EP spacecraft is equipped with a Wide-field X-ray Telescope (WXT). The WXT employs innovative “lobster eye” optics, inspired by the eyes of lobsters, allowing for deeper and wider observations of X-ray events compared to previous technologies.
The instrument, developed with the support of the European Space Agency (ESA), combines 12 lobster eye optics modules to offer a field of view covering 3,600 square degrees. ESA also contributed to testing and calibrating the detectors and optical elements of the WXT, and its ground stations will assist in data download.
Erik Kuulkers, ESA Project Scientist, emphasized the EP’s capability to observe nearly the entire night sky in approximately 5 hours with great sensitivity, thanks to the lobster-eye technique. This allows the EP to capture unpredictable transient events in X-ray light, offering valuable insights into various astronomical phenomena.
EP’s onboard data processing and autonomous follow-up capabilities, coupled with the Follow-up X-ray Telescope (FXT), enable quick response to detected X-ray events. This feature is expected to aid in identifying the origin of gravitational wave impulses observed on Earth through gravitational wave astronomy.
In return for ESA’s contributions, it will have access to 10% of the data generated by EP, benefiting the European Einstein Probe Science Team members. The mission holds potential for diverse scientific investigations, including auroral emissions on Jupiter, X-ray observations of star-planet interactions, and the study of various celestial events.
China initiated dedicated space science missions in 2015, starting with the DAMPE dark matter probe. The EP, approved in 2017 as part of the second phase of the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Strategic Priority Program (SPP), is a testament to China’s commitment to advancing space science.
Looking ahead, China has an array of proposed SPP missions, including a Venus orbiter, a constellation of lunar small satellites, exoplanet-hunting telescopes, and an asteroid sample return, currently under consideration by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Additionally, the Sino-Franco Space-based multi-band astronomical Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM) is slated for launch in Spring 2024.
This EP launch marks the first CASC launch of 2024 and the second Chinese orbital mission overall, following the January 5 launch of four Tianmu-1 GNSS radio occultation satellites. Notably, China’s Chang’e-6 lunar far side sample return mission is anticipated to be a highlight of its space endeavors in 2024, requiring the launch of the Queqiao-2 lunar relay satellite ahead of the main mission.
