On Dec. 29, the Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA) successfully launched TC-1, the first of two scientific satellites known as Double Star. The spacecraft, called Explorer 1, took off from the launch pad in Xichang in Sichuan province onboard a Long March 2C rocket.

The European Space Agency contributed to the Double Star mission by providing eight on-board scientific instruments. Double Star will study the interaction between the solar wind and the Earth’s magnetic field.