SOLAR-C

Planned Sun-observing satellite

SOLAR-C

Names

SOLAR-C
High-sensitivity Solar Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Satellite (official)

Mission type

Heliophysics

Operator

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ)

Website

solar-c.nao.ac.jp

Mission duration

2 years (planned)

Spacecraft properties

Launch mass

500 kg (1,100 lb)

Dimensions

4.8 m (16 ft) height

Start of mission

Launch date

2028 (planned)

Rocket

Epsilon S

Orbital parameters

Reference system

Sun-synchronous orbit (>600 km (370 mi))

Instruments
EUVST	Extreme Ultraviolet High-Throughput Spectroscopic Telescope
SoSpIM	Solar Spectral Irradiance Monitor

SOLAR-C (official name "High-sensitivity Solar Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Satellite"^[1]) is a planned Sun-observing satellite being developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), and international collaborators. It will be the follow-up to the Hinode (SOLAR-B) and Yohkoh (SOLAR-A) missions and will carry the EUV High-throughput Spectroscopic Telescope (EUVST [ja]) and the Solar Spectral Irradiance Monitor (SoSpIM).^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6] It is scheduled to launch in fiscal year 2028.^[7]

Objectives

The mission aims to study the sun, its effects on Earth and the Solar System, and the mechanisms behind hot plasma formation. The satellite will also analyse the Sun's UV radiation spectrum.^[8]^[9]

References

^ Shimizu, Toshifumi (1 March 2024). "SOLAR-C Project Team launched in JAXA". SOLAR-C. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
^ Watanabe, Tetsuya (2 August 2014). "The Solar-C Mission". Proceedings of the SPIE. doi:10.1117/12.2055366.
^ Shimizu, Toshifumi; Imada, Shinsuke; Kawate, Tomoko; Suematsu, Yoshinori; Hara, Hirohisa; Tsuzuki, Toshihiro; Katsukawa, Yukio; Kubo, Masahito; Ishikawa, Ryoko; Watanabe, Tetsuya; Toriumi, Shin; Ichimoto, Kiyoshi; Nagata, Shin'ichi; Hasegawa, Takahiro; Yokoyama, Takaaki; Watanabe, Kyoko; Tsuno, Katsuhiko; Korendyke, Clarence M.; Warren, Harry P.; De Pontieu, Bart; Boerner, Paul; Solanki, Sami K.; Teriaca, Luca; Schühle, Udo; Matthews, Sarah; Long, David; Thomas, William; Hancock, Barry; Reid, Hamish; Fludra, Andrzej; Auchere, Frederic; Andretta, Vincenzo; Naletto, Giampiero; Poletto, Luca; Harra, Louise (13 December 2020). "The Solar-C (EUVST) mission: the latest status". Proceedings of the SPIE. doi:10.1117/12.2560887.
^ Krummheuer, Birgit; Solanki, Sami K.; Teriaca, Luca (23 June 2020). "Starting Signal for Solar-C". Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research.
^ Hautaluoma, Grey; Frazier, Sarah (29 December 2020). "NASA Approves Heliophysics Missions to Explore Sun, Earth's Aurora". NASA.
^ Clark, Stuart (8 January 2021). "Spacewatch: Nasa Joins Japan's Mission to Study Sun's Atmosphere". The Guardian.
^ Shimizu, Toshifumi (1 March 2024). "SOLAR-C Project Team launched in JAXA". SOLAR-C Project. National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.
^ "Exploring the Rainbow Beyond the Blue". SOLAR-C. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
^ "Instruments". SOLAR-C. Retrieved 3 March 2024.

External link

Official website (in Japanese)

Japanese space program

Italics indicates projects in development.
Symbol ^† indicates failed projects.
~~Strikethrough lines~~ indicate cancelled projects.

Space agencies

National space agencies	JAXA former ISAS NAL NASDA NICT JSS
Joint development partners	NASA¹ ESA² ASI³ CSA⁴ Roscosmos⁵ AEB⁶ INPE⁷ ISRO⁸

Astronomical observation

Past	Akari ASCA ASTRO-E^† ~~Astro-G~~ CORSA^† Ginga Hakucho HALCA Hinotori Hitomi^† ~~SPICA~~ Suzaku Tenma Yohkoh
Active	Hinode Hisaki XRISM¹
Future	ATHENA² SOLAR-C¹ GREX-PLUS [ja] HiZ-GUNDAM [ja] LAPYUTA LiteBIRD Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope¹ Nano-JASMINE Small-JASMINE

Communications satellites, broadcasting satellites and satellite navigation systems

Past	BS 2X 3H 3N Kakehashi Kirari Kizuna Kodama MBSat N-STAR a b Sakura (1 2a 2b 3a 3b) Yuri 1 2a 2b 3a 3b
Active	Kirameki 1 2 Michibiki 1 2 3 4 1R MTSAT N-STAR c d JDRS
Future	DSN 3 QZS 5 6 7

Earth observation

Past	Akebono Daichi 1 3^† Denpa Fuyo-1 Jikiken Kyokko Midori I II Momo 1 1b Ohozora Taiyo TRMM¹ Ume 1 b Geotail¹
Active	Aqua^1,7 Arase ASNARO 1 2 Daichi-2 GPM¹ Himawari Ibuki original 2 Shikisai Shizuku
Future	ALOS-4 EarthCARE² GOSAT-GW PMM

Engineering tests

Past	Ayame 1 2 DASH EXPRESS IKAROS Jindai Kiku 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 LDREX 1 2 LRE Micro LabSat-1 Myojo Ohsumi Orizuru RAISE 2 3^† ~~PETSAT~~ RAPIS-1 Ryusei SERVIS-1 SERVIS-2 SDS-1 SFU Shinsei ~~SmartSat-1~~ Tansei 1 2 3 4 Tasuki Tsubame Tsubasa USERS
Active	Ajisai Reimei SDS-4
Future	BEAK ETS-IX G-SATELLITE SERVIS-3

Human spaceflight

Past	~~Fuji crewed spacecraft~~ ~~HOPE-X~~ H-II Transfer Vehicle
Active	International Space Station (ISS) & Japanese Experiment Module (Kibō)^1,2,3,4,5,6
Future	HTV-X Japanese Space Station Module (Mitsui) Lunar Gateway^1,2,4

Space probes

The Moon

Past	Hakuto-R Mission 1^† Hiten ~~Lunar-A~~ Kaguya (SELENE) OMOTENASHI^† ~~SELENE-2~~
Active	EQUULEUS Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM)
Future	Hakuto-R Mission 2 HERACLES^2,4 Lunar Cruiser Lunar Polar Exploration Mission⁸ (LUPEX) Yaoki

Others

Past	Hayabusa ~~Hayabusa Mk2~~ Nozomi^† PROCYON^† Sakigake Shin'en^† Suisei
Active	Akatsuki BepiColombo (MMO/Mio)² Hayabusa2 Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer²
Future	Comet Interceptor² DESTINY+ Dragonfly¹ Hera² MELOS Martian Moons eXploration Next Generation Small-Body Sample Return TEREX

Reconnaissance satellites

Past	IGS-Optical 1 2 Experimentally 3 IGS-Radar 1 2
Active	IGS-Optical 3 4 5 6 Experimentally 5 IGS-Radar 3 4 Spare 5 6
Future	IGS-Optical 7 8 IGS-Radar 7 8

Private small satellites

Past	CosMoz CUTE 1.7+APD Fuji 1 2 Hayato HIBARI HIT-SAT Kagayaki Kanta-kun (WEOS) Kūkai Maido-1 Negai☆″ Niwaka RAIKO Waseda-SAT2 WE WISH
Active	CUTE 1 1.7+APDII Fuji-3 Hitomi Hodoyoshi 1 2 3 4 Horyu 2 Kiseki PROITERES Raijin Raijin-2 SEEDS SOCRATES XI IV V
Future	DRUMS KITSUNE OPUSAT-II QSAT-EOS RSP-01 SOMESAT SpaceTuna1 SPROUT TSUBAME WNI satellite