In a major boost for its space technology, China has launched its first satellite aimed at researching gravitational waves. The Tianqin No.1 was one of the nine which were launched from north China's Shanxi Province on Friday. It will measure extremely slight changes in the gravitational waves – which is seen as a breakthrough in this area. Gravitational waves are distortions in the fabric of space and time, caused by violent and energetic processes in the universe. Albert Einstein predicted their existence more than a century ago, but they weren't actually discovered until 2016. Yang Yuguang, a professor with the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation and vice chair at the International Astronautical Federation said the importance of Tianqin is that the gravitational waves provide a new method to observe the universe.