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The space race is gaining momentum.
China is actively working on a large-scale project that will not only strengthen the national astronomy program, but also strengthen the use of the country's space station. The new space telescope was named Xuntian, which means "sky exploration".
The Xuntian telescope, also known as the Chinese Space Station Telescope (CSST), is scheduled for launch next year. It is equipped with a primary mirror with a diameter of two meters and is designed for joint orbit with the Tiangong Space Station. The expected service life of the telescope is 10 years, but its space mission can be extended.
Xuntian is designed to outperform NASA's Hubble telescope. It will be in orbit next to the Chinese space station, where it can be upgraded from time to time with the help of astronauts.
Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the China Manned Space Flight Authority, said the Xuntian telescope is expected to make breakthroughs in cosmology, dark matter and dark energy, as well as research into the Milky Way and other nearby galaxies. The telescope will conduct deep survey observations with an area of 17,500 square degrees and study various types of celestial bodies in detail.
Xuntian is expected to be launched into Earth orbit on a Long March 5B rocket. Compared to the Hubble telescope, the Chinese "eye" in orbit has a field of view 300 times larger.
Zao Jianping, chief designer of China's space program, emphasized the importance of Xuntian, calling it "the most important scientific project since the launch of the country's space station." The telescope is also the most advanced in the world in terms of its ability to produce images in the ultraviolet spectrum.
However, some researchers have expressed doubts about Xuntian's capabilities. Tom Brown, an astronomer and Hubble mission manager, said little is known about the Xuntian telescope's specific capabilities, making it difficult to judge its potential.
Despite the impressive plans and ambitions, many questions remain open, and the world scientific community is following the development of this project with interest.
China is actively working on a large-scale project that will not only strengthen the national astronomy program, but also strengthen the use of the country's space station. The new space telescope was named Xuntian, which means "sky exploration".
The Xuntian telescope, also known as the Chinese Space Station Telescope (CSST), is scheduled for launch next year. It is equipped with a primary mirror with a diameter of two meters and is designed for joint orbit with the Tiangong Space Station. The expected service life of the telescope is 10 years, but its space mission can be extended.
Xuntian is designed to outperform NASA's Hubble telescope. It will be in orbit next to the Chinese space station, where it can be upgraded from time to time with the help of astronauts.
Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the China Manned Space Flight Authority, said the Xuntian telescope is expected to make breakthroughs in cosmology, dark matter and dark energy, as well as research into the Milky Way and other nearby galaxies. The telescope will conduct deep survey observations with an area of 17,500 square degrees and study various types of celestial bodies in detail.
Xuntian is expected to be launched into Earth orbit on a Long March 5B rocket. Compared to the Hubble telescope, the Chinese "eye" in orbit has a field of view 300 times larger.
Zao Jianping, chief designer of China's space program, emphasized the importance of Xuntian, calling it "the most important scientific project since the launch of the country's space station." The telescope is also the most advanced in the world in terms of its ability to produce images in the ultraviolet spectrum.
However, some researchers have expressed doubts about Xuntian's capabilities. Tom Brown, an astronomer and Hubble mission manager, said little is known about the Xuntian telescope's specific capabilities, making it difficult to judge its potential.
Despite the impressive plans and ambitions, many questions remain open, and the world scientific community is following the development of this project with interest.
