Cutting-Edge 'Einstein' Telescope Launches with Lobster-Eye Technology

The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) spacecraft Einstein Probe, in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), is set to launch in January 2024. Equipped with innovative X-ray instruments, the mission aims to survey the sky and detect powerful X-ray emissions from celestial objects such as neutron stars and black holes. The mission will contribute to advancing our understanding of high-energy physics and the origin of gravitational waves. The spacecraft's Wide-field X-ray Telescope (WXT) will observe large areas of the sky, while the Follow-up X-ray Telescope (FXT) will study interesting events in more detail. ESA's contribution includes developing the scientific instrumentation and providing ground stations for data download.