The Franco-Chinese astrophysical satellite SVOM (Space Variable Objects Monitor) was launched this weekend into Earth orbit on a Long March 2C rocket from the Xichang base.
This satellite is currently the most powerful in the world for comprehensive multi-band observation of gamma-ray bursts and will play an important role in scientific discoveries in the field of space astronomy, including gamma-ray burst (GRB) research, explained the CNSA in a statement provided to the Global Times.
The SVOM is designed to detect short-lived, extremely violent cosmic explosions known as gamma-ray bursts by detecting high-energy electromagnetic radiation in the x-ray and gamma-ray ranges.
To achieve this goal, Chinese scientists and engineers have developed a pair of instruments for the satellite. These are the Gamma Ray Monitor to measure the emission spectrum of GRBs and the Visible Telescope, which will search for light emitted at optical wavelengths immediately after a gamma ray burst event.
Meanwhile, the French side provided the ECLAIRs telescope and the Microchannel X-ray Telescope on board the SVOM.
The satellite is also equipped with China’s BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), and can use the BDS short message services as well as the French VHF network, so that the SVOM can transmit a warning signal to the ground station within five minutes of detecting a GRB event, to notify large-aperture ground-based telescopes around the world, as well as other GRB satellites such as SWIFT, to observe the event together, according to Global Times learned from the project developers.
