China is preparing to launch a groundbreaking space observatory that will travel beyond the plane of the ecliptic to study the Sun’s poles. The Solar Polar Orbit Observatory, scheduled for launch in 2029, will offer a unique perspective on the Sun’s magnetic activity and high-speed solar winds, contributing to a deeper understanding of space weather and its impact on Earth.
X-rays stream off the sun in this first picture of the sun, overlaid on a picture taken by NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory SDO, taken by NASA NuSTAR. The field of view covers the west limb of the sun. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/GSFC
The spacecraft will achieve its distinctive orbit by performing a gravity assist maneuver at Jupiter, allowing it to reach a high-inclination orbit around the Sun. This trajectory will enable the observatory to capture unprecedented data from the solar poles—regions that have remained largely unobserved due to the limitations of Earth-based and low-inclination spacecraft. Understanding the Sun’s poles is essential for predicting solar storms and their potential effects on satellites, communication networks, and power grids on Earth.
The mission timeline was revealed by Luo Bingxian of the National Space Science Center (NSSC) during a presentation at the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) in Vienna, Austria. While very few spacecraft have left the plane of the ecliptic—the flat region containing most planetary orbits—this mission follows in the footsteps of Ulysses, a joint NASA-ESA probe that operated from 1990 to 2009 and observed the Sun from an 80-degree inclination. China’s upcoming observatory is expected to orbit at an inclination of 60 to 70 degrees, making it one of the few missions to ever study the Sun from such an angle.
The Solar Polar Orbit Observatory will carry a sophisticated suite of instruments designed to explore the Sun’s magnetic field, corona, and energetic events. Among its key instruments are a Magnetic and Helioseismic Imager, which will analyze the Sun’s magnetic activity and internal oscillations, and an Extreme Ultraviolet Solar Telescope to capture high-energy emissions. The spacecraft will also be equipped with a Visible-light Coronagraph and a Very Large Angle Coronagraph, both designed to study the Sun’s corona and solar wind structures. Additional tools include a Low Frequency Radio Spectrometer, which will monitor solar radio bursts, and an X-ray Imaging Telescope, providing crucial insights into high-energy solar events.
In addition to remote sensing instruments, the observatory will carry in-situ measurement tools to directly analyze the solar environment. These include a Solar Wind Ion Analyzer to study solar wind properties, an Energetic Ion Analyzer to examine high-energy particles, and a Magnetometer to measure the interplanetary magnetic field. By combining these observations, the mission will offer a comprehensive view of the Sun’s activity and its effects on the heliosphere.
This mission is the latest step in China’s growing commitment to solar research. The country previously launched the Chinese H-alpha Solar Explorer (CHASE/Xihe-1) in 2021, which observes the Sun in the H-alpha waveband, followed by the Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory (ASO-S/Kuafu-1) in 2022, focused on studying solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and the solar magnetic field. There are also plans for Xihe-2, a potential future mission that could observe the Sun from the Sun-Earth L5 Lagrange point.
China’s mission will join a growing international effort to study the Sun from different vantage points. NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, launched in 2018, is currently making close approaches to the Sun, gathering critical data on solar wind and the corona. The ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter, launched in 2020, is designed for high-resolution imaging and in-situ measurements of solar activity. Meanwhile, India’s Aditya-L1, launched in 2023, is positioned at Sun-Earth L1 to monitor the solar atmosphere, magnetic field, and solar wind. The ESA’s Proba-3 mission, an upcoming project, will utilize formation-flying spacecraft to create artificial solar eclipses, allowing for more precise studies of the Sun’s corona.
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