BEIJING — China’s first X-ray astronomical satellite, launched in June last year, is put into service for scientific research on Jan 30 after finishing in-orbit tests.

It embodies a new phase of China’s high-energy astronomy research, according to the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense and China National Space Administration.

The 2.5-ton Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT), dubbed Insight, has carried out in-orbit tests, including scanning and pointing observation, and gamma-ray burst tests, proving the qualified function and ability of the HXMT.

The HXMT also contributed to the detection of gravitational waves coming from the merger of two binary neutron stars in October 2017.