China solicits name for Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory

BEIJING, July 11 (Xinhua) -- China started soliciting suggestions on Monday for a Chinese name of its first solar probe, the Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory (ASO-S), according to the National Space Science Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The satellite is scheduled to be launched into space this October. Between July 11 and 24, netizens are invited to suggest a name for the probe that reflects its function while also suggesting China's spirit of scientific exploration and cultural self-confidence.

The satellite, which is designed to have a four-year lifespan, will conduct observations on the solar magnetic field, solar flares and coronal mass ejections, to support the forecasting of catastrophic space weather.

It will deploy three payloads, including a Full-disk Vector MagnetoGraph, a Hard X-ray Imager and a Lyman-alpha Solar Telescope.

After entering into orbit, the satellite will generate about 500GB of data each day, all of which will be made available to global users around the world.