Solar Orbiter is a collaboration between NASA and ESA, designed and built by a team led by Airbus. Launched in February 2020, it will observe the sun in unprecedented detail, as shown in this artist's impression.
Solar Orbiter is a collaboration between NASA and ESA, designed and built by a team led by Airbus. Launched in February 2020, it will observe the sun in unprecedented detail, as shown in this artist's impression.
ESA/Medialab
To protect it against the sun's heat, Solar Orbiter is coated with SolarBlack, made of charred bone. The coating was developed by Irish company ENBIO.
To protect it against the sun's heat, Solar Orbiter is coated with SolarBlack, made of charred bone. The coating was developed by Irish company ENBIO.
ESA--S. Corvaja
Solar Orbiter was launched inside the US Atlas V 411 rocket, pictured at the Astrotech payload processing facility in Florida, during launch preparations on 21 January 2020.
Solar Orbiter was launched inside the US Atlas V 411 rocket, pictured at the Astrotech payload processing facility in Florida, during launch preparations on 21 January 2020.
ESA--S. Corvaja
During testing, the engineering model of Solar Orbiter's sun shield was lowered into a vacuum chamber at ESA's Technical Centre, in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. The test creates a vacuum, while the chamber walls are pumped with -190°C liquid nitrogen to mimic the extreme cold of deep space. Mirrors focus the light from 19 lamps into a concentrated beam of artificial sunlight on the sun shield for several days.
During testing, the engineering model of Solar Orbiter's sun shield was lowered into a vacuum chamber at ESA's Technical Centre, in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. The test creates a vacuum, while the chamber walls are pumped with -190°C liquid nitrogen to mimic the extreme cold of deep space. Mirrors focus the light from 19 lamps into a concentrated beam of artificial sunlight on the sun shield for several days.
Anneke Le Floc'h/ESA
An artist's impression of Solar Orbiter after it separated from the upper stage of the rocket that launched it into space.
An artist's impression of Solar Orbiter after it separated from the upper stage of the rocket that launched it into space.
ESA/ATG medialab
In the first year of its mission, Solar Orbiter has collected valuable data. This image was taken on 30 May 2020 and shows the sun's appearance at the extreme ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Images at this wavelength reveal the upper atmosphere of the sun, the corona, with a temperature of around 1 million degrees Celsius.
In the first year of its mission, Solar Orbiter has collected valuable data. This image was taken on 30 May 2020 and shows the sun's appearance at the extreme ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Images at this wavelength reveal the upper atmosphere of the sun, the corona, with a temperature of around 1 million degrees Celsius.
Solar Orbiter/EUI Team/ ESA & NASA; CSL, IAS, MPS, PMOD/WRC, ROB, UCL/MSSL
This image shows a map of the magnetic properties of the sun. Taken on 18 June 2020, there is a large magnetically active region in the lower right-hand area of the sun.
This image shows a map of the magnetic properties of the sun. Taken on 18 June 2020, there is a large magnetically active region in the lower right-hand area of the sun.
Solar Orbiter/PHI Team/ESA & NASA
Solar Orbiter reached its first perihelion, the point in its orbit closest to the sun, on 15 June 2020 — 77 million kilometers from its surface.
Solar Orbiter reached its first perihelion, the point in its orbit closest to the sun, on 15 June 2020 — 77 million kilometers from its surface.
ESA/ATG medialab; Sun: NASA/SDO/ P. Testa (CfA)
Solar Orbiter captured the many faces of the sun in different wavelengths of light during its first close pass.
Solar Orbiter captured the many faces of the sun in different wavelengths of light during its first close pass.
Solar Orbiter/EUI Team; PHI Team/ESA & NASA
This image shows the sun's granulation pattern that results from the movement of hot plasma under the sun's visible surface.
This image shows the sun's granulation pattern that results from the movement of hot plasma under the sun's visible surface.
Solar Orbiter/PHI Team/ESA & NASA