Go look at the sun! my country successfully launches comprehensive solar exploration satellite "Kuafu-1"

10/09 07:43

my country successfully launches comprehensive solar exploration satellite

"Kuafu No. 1"

At 07:43 on October 9, 2022, my country successfully launched the advanced space-based solar observatory "Kuafu-1" using the Long March 2D carrier rocket at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The satellite successfully entered the predetermined orbit and the launch mission was a complete success.

The Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory (ASO-S) is a comprehensive solar exploration satellite independently proposed by Chinese solar physicists. It is another space science satellite developed and launched by the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Space Science Pioneer Project after "Wukong", "Micius", "Hui Yan", "Practice 10", "Taiji 1" and "Huairou 1", achieving a leap forward in my country's space-based solar exploration satellite.

The Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory takes "one magnetic field and two storms" as its scientific goal. It will take advantage of the peak year of the 25th week of solar activity to conduct simultaneous observations of the two most violent explosive phenomena on the sun - solar flares and coronal mass ejections, as well as the full-disk vector magnetic field. It will study the formation, interaction and mutual relationship of "one magnetic field", namely the solar magnetic field, and "two storms", namely flares and coronal mass ejections, to provide support for the forecast of space hazardous weather that affects human high-tech activities such as aerospace, communications and navigation.

The Advanced Space-Based Solar Observatory carries three payloads: the full-disk vector magnetograph, the Lyman-Alpha Solar Telescope and the Solar Hard X-ray Imager. The three payloads work together to achieve simultaneous observations of the solar magnetic field, non-thermal radiation of solar flares, formation of the solar disk by coronal mass ejections and propagation of helical waves on a near-Earth satellite platform for the first time. With the Lyman-Alpha Solar Telescope, simultaneous observations of the full solar disk and the helical corona will be achieved in the Lyman-Alpha band for the first time. The satellite has a design life of 4 years and operates in a sun-synchronous dawn-dusk orbit of about 720 kilometers.

Naming the advanced space-based solar observatory "Kuafu-1" has two meanings. On the one hand, "Kuafu" is a well-known Chinese mythological figure. The story of "Kuafu chasing the sun" expresses the spirit of ancient Chinese ancestors who were ambitious, explored nature, and were brave and tenacious. It also contains the Chinese nation's unremitting pursuit of uncovering the mystery of the sun for thousands of years. On the other hand, it means that "Kuafu-1" will, together with future Chinese solar exploration satellites, usher in a new era of comprehensive solar observation in China. "Chang'e flying to the moon" is paired with "Kuafu chasing the sun", which perfectly interprets the Chinese people's love and romance for nature and exploration of nature.

The National Space Science Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is responsible for the development and construction of the overall project and ground support system, the Microsatellite Innovation Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the National Astronomical Observatory, the Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics and the Purple Mountain Observatory are responsible for the development of the satellite platform and payload, the scientific application system is responsible for the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the measurement and control system is implemented by the Xi'an Satellite Measurement and Control Center of China, and the carrier rocket is developed and produced by the Eighth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. This launch is the 442nd flight of the Long March series of carrier rockets.

(Cover image source: Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center)

The Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is the chief scientist unit of the "Kuafu-1" advanced space-based solar observatory, and is responsible for the development of the hard X-ray imager payload and scientific application system. According to the plan, the scientific application system will work closely with the engineering team during the satellite's on-orbit test to carry out various calibration tasks, continue to improve data processing, advanced data production and scientific analysis software, and then officially open the data software to the world, and provide users with data browsing, data downloading, observation plan submission, organization training and other services, and cooperate with the ground support system to carry out on-orbit operation and status monitoring of the satellite.

Rotating Editor-in-Chief: Li Guoliang

Editor: Wang Kechao