Dark Matter Particle Explorer

Dark Matter Particle Explorer
(DAMPE)
NamesWukong,[1] TanSuo[2]
Mission typeHigh-energy Astronomy
OperatorCAS
COSPAR ID2015-078A[3]
SATCAT no.41173
Mission duration3 years (planned)[4]
Elapsed: 9 years, 2 months, 12 days
Spacecraft properties
Payload mass1,400 kg (3,100 lb)[4]
Power400 W [4]
Start of mission
Launch date17 December 2015 00:12 UTC
RocketLong March 2D, No. 2D-Y31[5]
Launch siteJiuquan Launch Area 4, Launch Pad 603[4]
ContractorSAST
Orbital parameters
Reference systemSun-synchronous orbit
Periapsis altitude500 km (310 mi) [4]
Inclination97.4°
Main Gamma rays
Wavelengthshigh energy gamma ray

The Dark Matter Particle Explorer, or DAMPE, also known as Wukong (Chinese: 悟空), is a Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) satellite which launched on 17 December 2015.[4] The satellite was launched on a Long March 2D rocket from Launch Pad 603 at the LC-43 complex, also known as the South Launch Site, at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.[4] It is China's first space observatory.

DAMPE is a space telescope used for the detection of high energy gamma rays, electrons and cosmic ray ions, to aid in the search for dark matter.[4][6] It was designed to look for the indirect decay signal of a hypothetical dark matter candidate called weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs).[7]

The project is the result of a collaboration among research institutions and universities in Italy, Switzerland and China under the leadership of the Purple Mountain Observatory (PMO) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

  1. ^ "China's new Monkey King set for journey into space". Xinhua. 16 December 2015. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  2. ^ Li, Ye; Yuan, Qiang (29 August 2012). "Testing the 130 GeV gamma-ray line with high energy resolution detectors". Physics Letters B. 715 (1–3): 35–37. arXiv:1206.2241. Bibcode:2012PhLB..715...35L. doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2012.07.057. S2CID 59141316.
  3. ^ "DAMPE (Wukong)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Cite error: The named reference Barbosa 2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "CZ-2D (2) (Chang Zheng-2D (2))". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  6. ^ Nowakowski, Tomasz (2 June 2015). "China to launch its first dark matter probe by the end of 2015". Spaceflight Insider. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  7. ^ Normile, Dennis (29 November 2017). "China's dark matter space probe detects tantalizing signal". Science. Retrieved 19 March 2018.

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