KASI and NASA launch special solar observation telescope ‘CODEX’ to solve “mysteries of the sun”

[Anchor]

A special solar observation telescope jointly developed by South Korea and the United States successfully launched today (Nov. 5).

Once installed on the International Space Station, it is expected to greatly aid solar research by allowing for proper observation of the sun, which is difficult to see from Earth.

This is a report by reporter Ji-hyuk Jang.

[Report]

The sun's corona looks like a crown.

It is the outermost layer of the sun's atmosphere.

The temperature is much higher than that of the sun's surface, making it one of the mysteries of the universe.

Additionally, due to the sun's bright light, it is virtually impossible to observe from Earth except during a total solar eclipse.

["3, 2, 1, engine ignition, and liftoff."]

The special telescope for solar observation, known as 'CODEX', which will unlock the secrets of the sun's corona, was successfully launched aboard a rocket.

The telescope will be docked at the International Space Station and then installed.

The International Space Station orbits the Earth in 90 minutes.

During this time, it will observe the sun for 55 minutes.

'CODEX' is a joint project of the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute and NASA.

The Korea Astronomy Institute led the development of the operational software and the polarization camera, a key component, while NASA was responsible for the solar tracking device and optical system development.

[James Rengie/NASA Engineer: "I've learned a lot from my KASI counterparts for certain aspects of flight software development that I didn't have before just by working with these guys."]

The entire assembly took place at the Goddard Space Flight Center in the U.S., and the final checks before launch were conducted at the Kennedy Space Center, with researchers from both countries collaborating.

[Baek Ji-hye/Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute Senior Researcher: "We conducted tests on the ground to see if the actual observatory was functioning normally, using these equipment."]

The solar corona information, which will be represented in two-dimensional images through CODEX, will be utilized not only for solar research but also for space weather forecasting.

This is Ji-hyuk Jang from KBS News.