Context:
A Long March 2-C rocket launched from southwestern China, carrying the French-Chinese satellite Space Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM). The launch was recently completed successfully, marking a significant milestone in international space collaboration.
Relevance:
GS III: Science and Technology
Space Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM)
Overview:
- SVOM is a collaborative satellite project between France and China, specifically designed to detect and study gamma-ray bursts (GRBs).
- It was launched using a Long March-2C rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province, China.
- Weighing 930 kilograms, the satellite is equipped with four instruments, two French and two Chinese.
- Positioned in an orbit over 600 kilometers above Earth, SVOM is expected to have a primary operational life of five years, with the potential to function for up to 20 years.
Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs):
- GRBs typically occur following the explosion of massive stars, at least 20 times larger than the sun, or from the fusion of compact stars.
- These bursts emit extremely bright cosmic beams, releasing energy equivalent to that of over a billion billion suns.
- Observing GRBs is akin to “looking back in time” due to the prolonged duration it takes for the light to reach Earth.
- The gamma-ray rays from GRBs carry information about the gas clouds and galaxies they pass through, providing valuable data on the history and evolution of the universe.
- GRBs are challenging to observe because they can appear randomly in the sky and last only a few seconds, often getting absorbed by Earth’s atmosphere. Probes in space are essential for capturing these bursts.
Significance of SVOM:
- SVOM is poised to uncover several mysteries surrounding GRBs, particularly by detecting the most distant and earliest GRBs in the universe.
- The data collected by SVOM will assist in testing physical laws under extreme conditions not replicable on Earth, offering deeper insights into the universe’s dynamics.
-Source: The Hindu
