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China's space programme
ChinaScience

China launches its first sun observation satellite to monitor solar eruptions

  • Xihe sent up by a Long March 2D rocket from Taiyuan launch centre to keep an eye on sun’s surface
  • Eye in the sky will fill gap in optical network, state news agency says

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The Xihe satellite is designed to record the changes in atmospheric temperature and speed during solar eruptions. Photo: Shutterstock
Liu Zhen
China launched its first solar observation satellite on Thursday, entering a new arena of space exploration, state media reported.

The 550kg (121-pound) Xihe satellite was sent by a Long March 2D rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in northern Shanxi province into a 571km-altitude orbit, where it is expected to monitor the sun for three years, state news agency Xinhua reported.

China has had a solar monitoring network on the ground but until now lacked optical data outside the atmosphere. To fill the gap, the first solar satellite will monitor eruptions on the sun’s surface and collect data within the visible spectrum range using an imaging spectrometer on board.
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“Conducting space solar exploration will effectively serve China’s basic science research, drive the development of related hi-tech industries, and even lead the progress of international solar physics research,” the report said.

“China’s international influence in the area of solar physics would be significantly increased.”

The Xihe satellite is designed to record the changes in atmospheric temperature and speed during solar eruptions and provide data for studies of the dynamics and physical mechanisms of eruptions. The platform’s features include ultra-high accuracy and ultra-stability.

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