China launches its first sun observation satellite to monitor solar eruptions

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China launched its first solar observation satellite on Thursday, entering a new arena of space exploration, state media reported.

The 550kg (121-pound) Xihe satellite was sent by a Long March 2D rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in northern Shanxi province into a 571km-altitude orbit, where it is expected to monitor the sun for three years, state news agency Xinhua reported.