In his New Year speech, Chinese President Xi Jinping listed the "successful launch of a satellite exploring dark matter, developed by our scientists", as one of the four significant achievements in science and technology in 2015.

Launched on December 17, 2015, the Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) Satellite "Wukong" was among the first scientific satellites developed under the CAS Strategic Priority Program on Space Science, as well as the first scientific satellite in a series launched by China.

The new satellite has the widest observation spectrum in energy and highest resolution of particles ever sent to space for probing the signature of dark matter and will likely lead to major breakthroughs in man’s exploration of the mysteries of the universe.

 Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) Satellite (Image by CAS)