Concerns As China Launches Satellite Into Space

There is currently fear in China following a satellite launch into space on Tuesday, January 9, 2024.

According to state media CCTV, China successfully launched the Einstein Probe satellite today at exactly 3:03 PM Beijing time (0703 GMT).

After the launch, authorities in Taiwan reportedly sent emergency phone alerts warning residents to take caution for their safety as the country’s foreign minister expressed concerns that there may be debris involved.

Naija News learnt that the Einstein Probe was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in the southwest Sichuan province, some 2,000 kilometres (1,243 miles) from Taipei, the capital of Taiwan.

CCTV said it was launched “using the Long March-2C carrier rocket… and the satellite entered its designated orbit.”

It added: “In the cosmos, the satellite will witness unexplained transitory events analogous to the flashing.”

The CCTV footage broadcasted unveiled the sight of the white rocket ascending into the sky, leaving behind a trail of white smoke as it separated in orbit.

According to state media, Scientist Yuan Weimin, who spearheaded the project, expressed his admiration for the satellite, referring to it as the “most exquisite satellite I have ever witnessed.”

President Xi Jinping had earlier declared China’s ambitions for its “space dream,” leading to intensified efforts and investments.

In order to narrow the gap with the United States and Russia, the world’s second-largest economy has allocated substantial funds to its military-operated space program.

In October, China dispatched a fresh team to its Tiangong space station, marking another milestone in its expanding space program, which aims to send astronauts to the Moon by 2030, Naija News understands.

According to a yearly report submitted by the US Department of Defense to Congress in the previous year, it was estimated that China accomplished 60 space launches, successfully deploying 180 satellites into orbit in 2022.

This figure represents a significant five-fold growth compared to the number recorded five years earlier. Additionally, the report ranked China as the second leading country, following the United States, in terms of operational satellites.