At 5:55 on April 5, 2013, China's the first space science active experiment was conducted in NSSC’s Hainan Sounding Rocket Launching Site on the outskirts of Danzhou City, Hainan Province.

The experiment was officially referred to as “Space Environment Vertical Exploration” and had so far achieved providing in-situ measurements for investigating the distributions of the key parameters of geo-space environment in low latitudes and calibration for ground-based remote-sensing observational facility.　 

The sounding rocket released barium metal powder near the altitude of 200 km, forming a barium cloud. By observing the development of the barium cloud, NSSC scientists are able to study the dynamical processes in the ionosphere near equator.

The flight altitude of the rocket is 191 km and it takes about 8 minutes for the rocket to lift off and touch down. The rocket carries three science payloads, a Langmuir probe to determine the vertical distribution of the electrons and ions, an electric field probe to detect the vertical distribution of the space electric field. More than that, a barium-metal-powder releaser is deployed to study the dynamical processes in the ionosphere.

　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　Launch scene of the TY-3E Carrier Rocket  (Image Courtesy: MU Chunlei)

One month after the success of the first space science active experiment, NSSC completed yet another space science active probe into higher-altitude atmosphere. The sounding rocket, launched at 9 pm, May 14, 2013, from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China, will facilitate NSSC scientists’ further investigations on the energetic particles and magnetic fields in the ionized stratum and near-Earth space.

Related Links:

1、[XinHua April 5, 2013] China Conducts First Space Science Active Experiment

2、[XinHua May 14, 2013] China Conducts Scientific Probe in High-altitude Atmosphere