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China plans to launch a new space telescope, the Xuntian, into orbit, which will become a competitor to the American James Webb telescope. The main advantage of the Chinese observatory will be the possibility of its maintenance and modernization in space, which will significantly extend its service life, Live Science reports.
Xuntian will be placed in Earth orbit near China's Tiangong space station. The telescope will have a 2-meter-diameter primary mirror — slightly smaller than Hubble's, but advanced optics will give it a 300-times wider view of space. It will operate in the near-ultraviolet to near-infrared range, allowing it to explore deep space.
Xuntian is expected to launch in 2026. Its main tasks are to study the distribution of matter in the universe, search for dark matter and dark energy, and observe distant galaxies. Chinese scientists plan to use it to measure weak gravitational lensing, which could provide clues to understanding the fundamental laws of the universe.
With in-orbit maintenance capabilities, the telescope can operate for decades, a clear advantage over Hubble, which requires expensive repair missions, and Webb, which is too far away for any repairs.
This project is part of China's ambitious space program, which aims to become a world leader in space exploration and a competitor to NASA.
China plans to launch a new space telescope, the Xuntian, into orbit, which will become a competitor to the American James Webb telescope. The main advantage of the Chinese observatory will be the possibility of its maintenance and modernization in space, which will significantly extend its service life, Live Science reports.
Xuntian will be placed in Earth orbit near China's Tiangong space station. The telescope will have a 2-meter-diameter primary mirror — slightly smaller than Hubble's, but advanced optics will give it a 300-times wider view of space. It will operate in the near-ultraviolet to near-infrared range, allowing it to explore deep space.
Xuntian is expected to launch in 2026. Its main tasks are to study the distribution of matter in the universe, search for dark matter and dark energy, and observe distant galaxies. Chinese scientists plan to use it to measure weak gravitational lensing, which could provide clues to understanding the fundamental laws of the universe.
With in-orbit maintenance capabilities, the telescope can operate for decades, a clear advantage over Hubble, which requires expensive repair missions, and Webb, which is too far away for any repairs.
This project is part of China's ambitious space program, which aims to become a world leader in space exploration and a competitor to NASA.
