A Long March 2C carrier rocket was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Southwest China's Sichuan Province on Jan 9, 2024, sending the Einstein Probe (EP) satellite into preset orbit.
A Long March 2C carrier rocket, carrying the Einstein Probe (EP) satellite, is launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Southwest China's Sichuan Province on Jan 9, 2024. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
The EP satellite is China's first wide-field X-ray astronomical satellite and is designed for observing astronomical phenomena such as black hole effects and the electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational waves.
Generally developed by China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the Long March 2C carrier rocket launched on Jan 9 is a two-stage basic rocket.
Li Jun, deputy chief designer of the rocket, said that the rocket is scheduled to carry out multiple missions in 2024 and the research team will continue to improve its reliability, matching efficiency and adaptation to support the upcoming intense launch missions.
The launch on Jan 9 was the 506th mission for the Long March series carrier rockets.
(Executive editor: Xie Yunxiao)
