China plans to launch the Solar Polar Orbit Observatory in 2029 to study the Sun’s poles, offering a unique perspective on solar activity and high-speed solar winds that impact Earth’s space weather.

The spacecraft will perform a gravity assist at Jupiter to enter a high-inclination orbit, allowing it to observe the solar poles.

Equipped with advanced instruments like a Magnetic and Helioseismic Imager, Extreme Ultraviolet Solar Telescope, and an X-ray Imaging Telescope, the mission will provide key data on solar magnetic cycles, the Sun’s corona, and solar winds, Space News has reported.

This mission is part of China’s broader space science development plan.

Written by B.C. Begley