A German MPE delegation, led by Prof. Kirpal Nandra, Director of Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) visited

both sides discuss the future collaboration

the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) on February 8.

MPE delegation aimed to explore the future collaboration on space astronomical observation with IHEP scientists. Both sides discussed the possibility of combining XTP Satellite Project at IHEP and General Relativistic Astrophysics Via Timing And Spectroscopy (GRAVITAS) Project at MPE. It was agreed that since two projects share some similarities in its scientific objective and technical basis, Germany and Chinese scientists should optimize the current plans and put forward a united satellite project together. Besides that, MPE experts expressed the interest in joining the project of all-sky X ray monitor at China’s Space Station.

Prof. WANG Yifang, IHEP Director suggested that IHEP and MPE should set up a joint research team, and strengthen the mutual cooperation in space astronomy and astronomical physics.

MPE was founded as sub-institute of Max Planck Institute for Physics and Astrophysics in 1963. The scientific activities of the institute are mostly devoted to astrophysics with telescopes orbiting in space. A large amount of the resources are spent for studying black holes in our galaxy and in the remote universe. The institute built and managed the operations of the X-ray satellite ROSAT and XMM-Newton.