The Japanese Space Agency and NASA are preparing to launch the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission on Saturday. The mission will study temperature differences in deep space and try to shed light on the mysteries of gravity. Artist’s rendition courtesy of NASA
Japan’s launch of a revolutionary new satellite that will aid scientists with understanding the warping of spacetime was scrubbed Sunday night due to strong winds.
The launch of the H-IIA rocket with its X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Satellite payload was scheduled for 8:29 p.m. EDT from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center and the countdown was ticking toward liftoff when the mission was called off. Advertisement
“Today’s launch is canceled because it was confirmed that the upper wind does not satisfy the constraints at launch,” MHI Launch Services said in a statement.
The mission, which is in collaboration with NASA and the European Space Agency, seeks to put the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Satellite, also known as the XRISM, into space where it will detect X-rays with energies ranging from 400 to 12,000 electron volts, which will provide astrophysicists with information about some of the universe’s hottest regions.
NASA says this will provide information about the energy’s source, including its composition, motion and physical state, and scientists hope it will help to explain the mystery of gravity and the potential warping of space.
Also along on the mission is JAXA’s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, also known as SLIM, which is designed to demonstrate accurate “pinpoint” lunar landing techniques. Advertisement
