China will launch its first solar probe, the Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory (ASO-S), in October. The 888-kilogram satellite, scheduled to depart from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, has undergone more than five years of research and development. Designed to operate at an altitude of 720 km, the satellite will complete one sun-synchronous orbit every 90 minutes.
During its projected four-year lifespan, the satellite will support catastrophic space weather forecasting by observing the solar magnetic field, solar flares and coronal mass ejections. After entering its orbit, the satellite will generate about 500GB of data daily, all of which will be shared worldwide. (CGTN)
China's first solar probe, Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory (ASO-S), is scheduled to be launched into space in the first half of 2022, marking the country's first-ever mission to "touch" the sun. The satellite will operate in a sun-synchronous orbit 720 km above Earth to keep a close tab on the sun 24 hours a day. Measuring about 1,000 kg in total mass, the satellite is expected to orbit the sun for at least four years, according to the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
China will launch its first comprehensive solar probe, the Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory, in October, opening a new chapter in the country's exploration of the sun, according to the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
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