Solar Polar Orbit Observatory
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| Mission type | High-inclination solar orbiter |
|---|---|
| Operator | CNSA |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 2029 |
The Solar Polar Orbit Observatory (SPO) is a planned space probe aimed at studying the Sun at various latitudes. It will be operated by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) as part of their National Space Science Medium- and Long-Term Development Plan, and aims to be the first heliocentric polar orbiter since NASA and ESA's Ulysses in 1990.[1]
Aiming to launch in 2029, the SPO's trajectory calls for the spacecraft to make a gravity assist of Earth in order to reach the orbit of Jupiter. There, it would flyby the planet to place it out of the ecliptic, and would subsequently make further assists off of Earth to lower its aphelion.[2] Along the way, it would be making studies of the Sun's poles as it passed overhead.
The SPO is also slated to carry numerous instruments in order to capture the first imaging operations of the solar polar regions, as well as making a "cloud map" of interplanetary space around the Sun. Such instruments include an ultraviolet and x-ray telescope, several coronagraphs, and a radio spectrometer. Additionally, it plans on carrying a handful of ion analyzers as well as a magnetometer.
See also
References
- ↑ Jones, Andrew (2025-02-25). "China to send a spacecraft out of the ecliptic to study the Sun's poles". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2025-02-25.
- ↑ Jones, Andrew [@AJ_FI] (25 February 2025). "China to launch the solar polar-orbit observatory mission in 2029 to study the Sun's poles" (Tweet). Retrieved 25 February 2025 – via X (formerly Twitter).
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