Spacecraft to scan cosmos for elements that could give scientists a better understanding of unseen “dark matter”.

A new spacecraft developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences is expected to launch in the coming hours.

China’s 1,400kg Dark Matter Particle Explorer will scan the cosmos for elements that, it is hoped, will give us a better understanding of the mysterious and unseen “dark matter”.

Tarek Bazley, Al Jazeera’s science editor, explains.