Einstein Probe

Einstein Probe
	Einstein Probe artist impression
Names	Aiyinsitan Tanzhen
Mission type	Space observatory
Operator	CAS, ESA
COSPAR ID	2024-007A
SATCAT no.	58753
Website	ep.bao.ac.cn/ep/
Mission duration	3 years (planned); 5 months and 3 days (ongoing)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	Einstein Probe
Bus	Phoenix-Eye-2
Manufacturer	CAS
Launch mass	1,450 kg (3,200 lb)
Dimensions	3 × 3.4 m (9.8 × 11.2 ft)
Start of mission
Launch date	9 January 2024, 07:02 UTC
Rocket	Long March 2C
Launch site	Xichang LC-3
Contractor	CASC
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric orbit
Regime	Low Earth orbit
Perigee altitude	581 km
Apogee altitude	596 km
Inclination	29°
Period	96 minutes
Instruments
	Wide-field X-ray Telescope (WXT); Follow-up X-ray Telescope (FXT)
	; Einstein Probe Logo

The Einstein Probe (EP) is an X-ray space telescope mission by Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in partnership with European Space Agency (ESA) and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) dedicated to time-domain high-energy astrophysics.^[3]^[4] The primary goals are "to discover high-energy transients and monitor variable objects".^[5] The telescope was launched by a Long March 2C rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in China, on 9 January 2024, at 07:03 UTC.^[6]

^ "Einstein Probe factsheet". ESA. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference esa-20240109 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "Einstein Probe in a nutshell". www.esa.int. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
^ "Einstein Probe factsheet". www.esa.int. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
^ "Einstein Probe Time Domain Astronomical Information Center". ep.bao.ac.cn. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
^ Jones, Andrew (January 9, 2024). "China launches "lobster eye" Einstein Probe to unveil mysteries of X-ray universe". spacenews.com.