Chinese H-alpha Solar Explorer (CHASE), also named Xihe (Chinese: 羲和) after the solar deity,[1] is China's first solar observatory. It was launched aboard a Long March 2D rocket on 14 October 2021. CHASE is a 508 kg (1,120 lb) satellite operating at a 517-kilometer-altitude Sun-synchronous orbit, with an orbital period of around 94 minutes.[2][3]
| Mission type | Solar astronomy |
|---|---|
| Operator | CNSA |
| COSPAR ID | 2021-091A |
| SATCAT no. | 49315 |
| Mission duration | Elasped: 2 years |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | Chinese Academy of Sciences |
| Launch mass | 508 kg |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 14 October 2021, 10:51:00 GMT |
| Rocket | Long March 2D |
| Launch site | Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center |
| Contractor | China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Sun-synchronous orbit |
| Inclination | 98° |
| Period | 94 minutes |