China to share X-ray satellite data

The Chinese government has decided to open up data from its first X-ray satellite to researchers all over the world.

An article in China Daily revealed plans to share data sets from the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope, brought into orbit in June. The data gathered by the satellite is expected to improve understanding of black holes and magnetic fields in space.

However, before the data-gathering procedure starts, the satellite will have to be calibrated, said Song Liming, a scientist at China’s Institute of High Energy Physics, who designed the satellite.