China, France launch satellite to better understand universe

A Long March 2-C rocket carrying an astronomical satellite blasts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwestern China's Sichuan Province on June 22, 2024. (Xinhua News Agency via AP) French Ambassador to China Bertrand Lortholary, front center, and National Center for Space Studies President Philippe Baptiste, back center, applaud following the launch of a rocket carrying a satellite jointly developed by China and France on June 22, 2024.

A French-Chinese satellite blasted off Saturday on a hunt for the mightiest explosions in the universe, in a notable example of cooperation between a Western power and the Asian giant.