ZHUHAI — China plans to launch its first solar exploration satellite this year, with a model of the new hardware on display at the ongoing 13th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, according to the satellite's developer.

China will enter a new era of solar exploration with the satellite's launch, said the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST) under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

According to the SAST, the primary payload on the satellite will be the solar Hα imaging spectrometer, which will gather images of the Sun in the Hα spectrum. It will help researchers observe changes in the Sun during solar flares, such as changes in its atmospheric temperature and velocity.

The satellite's design includes the separation of its platform cabin and payload cabin, thus ensuring the ultra-high pointing accuracy and stability of the payload.

China has established a ground-based solar monitoring network and made achievements in research fields such as the solar spectrum and solar magnetic fields, but it has yet to conduct space-based solar exploration.

Experts hope that space-based solar exploration will advance China's basic research on the Sun, drive the development of relevant high-tech industries, and contribute to international solar physics research.

On Sept 24, the SAST launched a naming campaign for the solar satellite. The name will be announced after the satellite is successfully sent to space.