The Chinese H{\alpha} Solar Explorer (CHASE) mission: An overview

TL;DR

The CHASE mission is China's first solar space mission, launched in 2021, aiming to study solar activity through spectroscopic observations in the H{ extalpha} waveband, providing new insights into the Sun's photosphere and chromosphere.

Contribution

This paper provides an overview of the CHASE mission, including its scientific objectives, instrument design, data calibration, and initial on-orbit observations, marking a significant step in solar research.

Findings

Successful launch and operation of the CHASE satellite.

First spectroscopic observations in the H{ extalpha} waveband from space.

Initial data demonstrate the instrument's capability for solar activity studies.

Abstract

The Chinese H{\alpha} Solar Explorer (CHASE), dubbed "Xihe" - Goddess of the Sun, was launched on October 14, 2021 as the first solar space mission of China National Space Administration (CNSA). The CHASE mission is designed to test a newly developed satellite platform and to acquire the spectroscopic observations in the H{\alpha} waveband. The H{\alpha} Imaging Spectrograph (HIS) is the scientific payload of the CHASE satellite. It consists of two observational modes: raster scanning mode and continuum imaging mode. The raster scanning mode obtains full-Sun or region-of-interest spectral images from 6559.7 to 6565.9 {\AA} and from 6567.8 to 6570.6 {\AA} with 0.024 {\AA} pixel spectral resolution and 1 minute temporal resolution. The continuum imaging mode obtains photospheric images in continuum around 6689 {\AA} with the full width at half maximum of 13.4 {\AA}. The CHASE mission will advance our understanding of the dynamics of solar activity in the photosphere and chromosphere. In this paper, we present an overview of the CHASE mission including the scientific objectives, HIS instrument overview, data calibration flow, and first results of on-orbit observations.