China's First Space Telescope to Be Launched in 2010/11

    In 2010 or 2011, China's first space telescope will be launched, to roam outer space with the Hubble Space Telescope.

    The Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT) is a first for China and will have the highest sensitivity and space resolution in the world. Its specific missions will include the study of high-energy astronomical bodies and high-energy radiation phenomena, as well as the directional observation of mysteries such as black holes and neutron stars. HXMT's observations are expected to make major contributions to high-energy astrophysics. "Several large telescopes independently developed by China in recent years are considered the world's most advanced types," said Su Dingqiang, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.