China’s dark matter satellite has sent back its first batch of data

Earlier this month, China launched its Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) into space, and it’s already starting to send back data. Developed by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, alongside researchers from the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare in Italy and the University of Geneva in Switzerland, the satellite has beamed back its first batch of information to confirm that it’s fully operational, which means it’s now beginning its three-year mission to gather notoriously elusive data on dark matter.