Space Source‑Tracing Scientific Satellite Program (Taikong Tanyuan Kexue Weixing Jihua 太空探源科学卫星计划)

Key Points

New national program: The Space Source‑Tracing Scientific Satellite Program led by the National Space Science Center (Guojia Kongjian Kexue Zhongxin 国家空间科学中心) will deploy missions such as Hongmeng Plan, Kuafu‑2, an exoplanet Earth‑surveying mission, and an enhanced X‑ray time‑domain and polarimetry observatory during the 15th Five‑Year Plan.
Proven scale: Builds on the Space Science Pilot Special Project that has launched 8 scientific satellites since 2011 (including Wukong, Huairou‑1, Kuafu‑1, Tianguan, Huiyan, etc.).
Technology edge: Development of lobster‑eye X‑ray telescopes and an international‑standard X‑ray calibration beamline gives China instruments that are ahead of peers by one to two orders of magnitude in some metrics.
High‑impact discoveries & stats: Wukong measured secondary boron above 1 TeV/n with a 8‑sigma spectral hardening (pointing to propagation effects); Kuafu‑1 found only 5 CMEs among 127 high‑energy C‑class flares, an unexpectedly low association rate that reshapes solar eruption models.

Space Source‑Tracing Scientific Satellite Program is the new national push to trace the origins of the universe, space weather, and life in space.

Overview — What China announced

At a science highlights release held on November 24, 2025, China announced a new Space Source‑Tracing Scientific Satellite Program focused on major frontiers including the origin of the universe, the origins of space weather, and the origin of life.

The program will be organized and implemented by the National Space Science Center (Guojia Kongjian Kexue Zhongxin 国家空间科学中心) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhongguo Kexueyuan 中国科学院).

During the 15th Five‑Year Plan period, the program will deploy a series of space science satellites — including the Hongmeng Plan (Hongmeng jihua 鸿蒙计划), Kuafu‑2 (Kuafu‑er 夸父二号), an exoplanet Earth‑surveying mission, and an enhanced X‑ray time‑domain and polarimetry space observatory — aiming for breakthroughs in areas such as the cosmic “dark ages,” the solar magnetic activity cycle, and detection of Earth‑like exoplanets.

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Strategic Goals: From “Keeping Pace” to “Leading”

Officials said that by steadily advancing these satellite missions, China’s space science will move from “running alongside” peers toward becoming a global leader in multiple directions.

The program intends to deliver a steady stream of key, original, and guiding scientific results, support high‑level technological self‑reliance, and drive comprehensive development across space science, space technology, and space applications.

The aim is to contribute landmark results to China’s goals of becoming a leading spacefaring and technological nation.

Program Track Record and Scale

The Space Science Pilot Special Project — China’s first systematic national program to support space science research, launched in 2011 — has to date developed and launched eight scientific satellite missions.

Those missions include:

Wukong (Wukong 悟空号)
Shijian‑10 (Shijian shihao 实践十号)
Mozi (Mozi 墨子号)
Huiyan (Huiyan 慧眼号)
Taiji‑1 (Taiji yihao 太极一号)
Huairou‑1 (Huairou yihao 怀柔一号)
Kuafu‑1 (Kuafu‑yi 夸父一号)
Tianguan (Tianguan 天关)

Those missions have produced a range of major original discoveries and multiple “China firsts” and global firsts.

Over the past 15 years the project has accelerated China’s space science innovation, enabling a shift from “follow” and “parallel” to leadership in specific fields and placing Chinese space scientists increasingly at the center of international research collaborations.

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Four “Extremes” of Scientific Progress

The program’s scientific advances span a wide scale and depth, summarized as progress toward four extremes:

Extremely large scale (macro): Produced the world’s first all‑sky X‑ray map.
Extremely small scale (micro): Measured the most precise fine‑structure energy spectra to date for cosmic‑ray electrons, protons, helium, and boron nuclei.
Extreme environments: Directly measured the universe’s strongest magnetic fields and detected the fastest jets closest to black holes.
Extreme integration: Achieved deep fusion of science, technology, and engineering.

Technology, Platforms, and Talent

Alongside scientific discoveries, the program has driven rapid advances in payloads and satellite‑platform technologies.

China has overcome key technical challenges such as star‑to‑ground optical path alignment, built the country’s first international‑standard X‑ray calibration beamline, and developed leading large‑field‑of‑view, high‑sensitivity lobster‑eye X‑ray telescopes that are ahead of international peers by one to two orders of magnitude in some metrics.

Integrated satellite platform‑and‑payload design has been realized for multiple missions.

The program also created a new mission governance model — “Chief Scientist + two chief engineers” (shouxi keshi + gongcheng liang zong 首席科学家+工程两总) — and has cultivated a cohort of leading scientists and engineering teams, including many capable young researchers.

Key disciplinary systems and laboratory infrastructure for space science in China have been strengthened, laying a solid foundation for follow‑on missions.

International cooperation has been pursued across many levels.

The “SMILE” mission (a Sino‑European collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA)) represented a deep, full‑cycle cooperation model.

The Tianguan (Tianguan 天关) mission was led by China with participation from ESA, Germany, and France, marking an ESA opportunity‑mission collaboration mode.

Building international science teams and data‑sharing arrangements has increased the global impact of Chinese scientific satellites.

Major Recent Scientific Breakthroughs

New Types of X‑ray Transients and High‑Energy Phenomena

The Tianguan (Tianguan 天关) satellite discovered a new type of X‑ray transient named EP241021a, providing key clues to the nature of these mysterious transient sources.

It also detected a faint X‑ray outburst in the Milky Way, EP240904a, opening new routes to identify stellar‑mass black holes.

After implementing autonomous triggering and automated follow‑up, Tianguan made its first autonomously triggered detection of transient EP240801a — a result that challenges traditional gamma‑ray burst (GRB) classification schemes.

Huiyan (HXMT) Results: From Earth’s Atmosphere to the Brightest GRBs

The Huiyan (Huiyan 慧眼号) satellite produced a broad set of results, including:

Measurements of the Earth’s upper atmospheric density;
New insights into the outburst mechanisms of black hole accretion in our galaxy;
Studies of radiation mechanisms and surface magnetic fields of accreting millisecond pulsars;
Localization of nuclear burning ignition sites on neutron star surfaces;
Constraints on the minimum variability timescales of the brightest gamma‑ray bursts.

Huairou‑1: Magnetars, Merger GRBs, and Near‑Earth Radiation

Huairou‑1 (Huairou yihao 怀柔一号) identified a new subtype of gamma‑ray burst associated with compact‑star mergers, enriching our understanding of electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational waves.

It revealed a previously unknown magnetar burst mode and, by discovering a set of periodic particle‑precipitation events, deepened knowledge of the near‑Earth orbital radiation environment.

Wukong’s Boron Spectrum: A Propagation Clue

Wukong (Wukong 悟空号) achieved the first precise measurement of the secondary cosmic‑ray boron (B) energy spectrum above 1 TeV per nucleon (TeV/n).

It detected a spectral hardening with an 8‑sigma confidence level.

The change in the boron spectral index is about twice the magnitude of spectral‑index changes seen in primary cosmic rays such as protons and helium, suggesting that the hardening likely arises from propagation effects — an important clue to cosmic‑ray transport mechanisms.

Kuafu‑1: Unexpected Solar Flare–CME Relationships

Kuafu‑1 (Kuafu‑yi 夸父一号) observations show that high‑energy C‑class solar flares have a much lower association rate with coronal mass ejections (CMEs) than traditional models predict.

Among 127 high‑energy C‑class flares, only 5 were accompanied by CMEs, and those were narrow jet‑produced CMEs.

This anomalously low association rate offers new evidence to investigate solar eruption mechanisms and the origins of high‑energy solar particles.

What This Means Going Forward

The new Space Source‑Tracing Scientific Satellite Program builds on more than a decade of focused national investment and scientific progress.

By combining advanced payloads, integrated satellite platforms, a refined mission governance model, and strengthened international collaboration, China aims to push the boundaries of astrophysics, heliophysics, cosmic‑ray physics, exoplanet detection, and the search for the origin of life.

The next wave of missions is designed to target the universe’s most challenging questions — from the cosmic dark ages to the mechanisms that produce high‑energy particles and the conditions that may give rise to life.

Quick Takeaways for Investors, Founders, Techies, and Marketers

Strategic focus: This is a coordinated national effort to convert technical wins into leadership in space science.
Technology edge: World‑class instruments like lobster‑eye X‑ray telescopes and X‑ray calibration infrastructure create exportable know‑how and collaboration leverage.
Talent pipeline: The governance model plus multi‑disciplinary labs are building teams that can lead large, complex missions.
Collaboration model: SMILE and Tianguan show China is evolving nuanced ways to partner with ESA and European labs across the mission lifecycle.
Scientific impact: From boron spectra to new transient classes and solar flare surprises, the program delivers discoveries that reshape theory and follow‑on tech needs.