CHASE before preparing for launch – China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

Last October 14, 2021 China CHASE / Xihe . solar observatory launchedIts first solar observatory. CHASE COMES FROM Chinese Solar Hydrogen Explorer, Chinese Alpha Hydrogen Solar Explorer; Xihe, the name given to the expedition after a public contest, comes from the sun goddess of Chinese mythology.

Chase It will observe the Sun from a sun-synchronous orbit of 517 km in length. From there you will get full disk images in a file H-alpha . emission line. The goal is to study solar flares and their origin. Specifically, it will look for changes in the temperature and velocity of materials in the solar photosphere and chromosphere. Solar flares and coronal mass emissions, which can affect Earth if they go in the right direction, can generate geomagnetic storms that affect communications, power grids, and satellite operation.

The obtained data will be made available to the scientific community once the HIS calibration phase has passed Hα . Imaging Spectrometer, the only tool in the observatory. Together with those obtained by other observatories such as SOHO and SDO and probes such as Parker Solar Probe or Solar Orbiter, to name some of the missions we have observed our star, it is expected to help improve predictions of space climate.

The mission has a projected life of three years, and observations are expected to take place at least until the next maximum solar activity, which is supposed to occur in 2025.

China plans to launch Advanced Solar Space Observatory (ASO-S), the Advanced Solar Space Observatory.

***

2D Long March Fins – Shanghai Academy of Aerospace Technology

The Xihe, along with accompanying secondary cargoes, was launched into orbit by a 2D Long March rocket whose first stage featured grid fins. This is the first time they have been used on the LM-2D, but not the first time China has tested it in a long walk.

Although it is very reminiscent of those from SpaceX China Falcon 9, at the moment it does not intend to restore the early stages of its rockets. But the presence of guiding fins allows to reduce uncertainty about the area of ​​influence in the first stage; And we must not forget that depending on where the first stages of many Chinese missiles take off from They fall to the ground in their own country.

Related,