The Kuafu project (simplified Chinese: 夸父计划; traditional Chinese: 夸父計劃; pinyin: Kuāfù Jìhuà) is a Chinese space project to establish a space weather forecasting system composed of three satellites, originally to be completed by 2012.[1] As of the Solar Wind XIII conference[2] in June 2012, the planned launch date was 2017. However, due to withdrawal first by Canada and then ESA, the project was postponed.[3] It was launched on 9 october 2022.[4]
The project is named after Kuafu, a giant in Chinese mythology who chased the sun and died trying.
One of these satellites would be placed at the Sun-Earth Lagrangian Point L1, while the other two would be placed in polar orbits.[5]
The first of the polar orbit satellites, the Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory (ASO-S, also unofficially known as Kuafu-1 (夸父一号) ), was launched on 8 October 2022.[6] Because of the name "Kuafu", the project may be restarted.
References
edit- ^ "我国目光超越月球 "夸父计划"雄心勃勃". People's Daily. 2006-07-25. Archived from the original on 2016-06-10. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
- ^ "Solar Wind 13". 2012-06-20. Archived from the original on 2012-02-02. Retrieved 2012-06-20.
- ^ "China pulls plug on solar observatory". Science. 2014-10-31.
- ^ "China launches first solar observatory to solve mystery of Sun's eruptions". 10 October 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-10-10.
- ^ "夸父计划进入技术攻关 将发射3颗测日卫星". Xinhuanet. April 16, 2008. Archived from the original on April 22, 2008. Retrieved April 21, 2008.
- ^ "China launches space-based observatory to unravel the Sun's secrets". Xinhua. 9 October 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
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