China plans to launch first space-based Sun-observing satellite by 2022: chief scientist
Deng Xiaoci Published: Jan 12, 2021 05:48 PM
Photo: Courtesy of Purple Mountain Observatory, CAS
Tests on the prototype of China's first space-borne comprehensive solar observation satellite will come close to completion by the end of January, and the spacecraft is expected to be launched by 2022, according to Gan Weimin, chief scientist with the program.
The satellite, codenamed Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory or ASO-S, is tasked with conducting long-term continuous solar observation for at least four years, and its main scientific goals include the formation of solar magnetic field, solar flare and titanic blasts known as coronal mass ejections, as well as their relationship in a simultaneous fashion, Gan, the program leader and research fellow with the Nanjing-based Purple Mountain Observatory under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), told the Global Times during an exclusive interview.