Long March-2D launches Xihe and 10 small satellites

A Long March-2D launch vehicle launched the Chinese Hα Solar Explorer (CHASE) and 10 small satellites from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Shanxi Province, northern China, on 14 October 2021, at 10:51 UTC (18:51 local time). CHASE, also known as Xihe (羲和) after the goddess of the Sun who created the calendar in ancient Chinese mythology, is China’s first space-based solar observatory. For the first time on a Long March-2D launch vehicle, grid fins were used to control the descent of the first stage, with the goal of reducing the landing area. Credit: China Media Group(CMG)/China Central Television (CCTV)/China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) Solar Exploration Science and Technology Test Satellite (太阳探测科学技术试验卫星)