The CHASE satellite, weighing 550kg, will operate for at least three years in an orbit 520km above the Earth’s surface.
China plans to launch its first solar observation satellite from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi Province around mid-October, according to Wang Wei, deputy director of the Shanghai Institute of Satellite Engineering at the Shanghai Academy of Space Technology.
The solar observation satellite will benefit many scientific fields. (Photo: Astronomy Photographer of the Year awards)
The satellite, named Chinese H-Alpha Solar Explorer (CHASE), weighs 550kg and is designed to maintain a solar synchronous orbit at an altitude of 520km above the Earth’s surface for at least three years. This will be China’s first solar telescope placed in space.
“CHASE has been designed and built by engineers at my institute, tasked with collecting spectral and imaging data of the Sun, as well as validating new satellite technologies. Its special scientific instrument is an H-alpha imaging spectrometer developed by the Institute of Optics, Precision Mechanics, and Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences,” Wang said. He also noted that the satellite has high orientation accuracy and flight stability.
“Studying the Sun helps us understand the origins and development of cosmic magnetic fields, the acceleration and distribution of energetic particles, and other physical phenomena. In addition to its scientific value, better understanding the Sun also helps us avoid disruptions to navigation and communication services due to solar activities, thus better protecting astronauts and spacecraft,” Wang added.
“China has built a network of ground-based solar observatories but still lacks observational tools in space. The new satellite is expected to provide scientists with an orbital platform to strengthen research on the Sun and improve related technologies,” Wang further stated.
Some Chinese satellites also carry instruments that can collect data about the Sun, but CHASE will be the first satellite dedicated to observing this star. In addition to CHASE, Chinese scientists are also developing a satellite named Advanced Space-Based Solar Observatory to study the physical characteristics of the Sun.
The United States and Europe have launched dozens of dedicated spacecraft to observe the Sun, such as the Parker Solar Probe and STEREO, according to Pang Zhihao, a retired spacecraft researcher at the China Academy of Space Technology. He stated that China’s solar observation satellites would benefit many scientific fields and promote the development of high-tech industries.
