Solar Orbiter mission

E60458

European Space Agency mission solar observation mission space mission

The Solar Orbiter mission is a European Space Agency-led spacecraft project designed to study the Sun up close, including its poles and heliosphere, to better understand solar activity and its effects on the solar system.

Aliases (3)

Solar Orbiter ×3
Solar Orbiter Heliospheric Imager ×1
Spectral Imaging of the Coronal Environment ×1

Statements (52)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	European Space Agency mission → solar observation mission → space mission →
abbreviation	SolO →
aphelionDistance	about 0.91 astronomical units →
collaboratingAgency	NASA →
hasInstrument	Energetic Particle Detector → Extreme Ultraviolet Imager → Magnetometer → Metis coronagraph → Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager → Radio and Plasma Waves instrument → Solar Orbiter Heliospheric Imager → Solar Wind Analyser → Spectral Imaging of the Coronal Environment →
inclinationGoal	up to about 33 degrees to the solar equator →
launchCountry	United States →
launchDate	10 February 2020 → 2020-02-10 →
launchProvider	United Launch Alliance →
launchSite	Cape Canaveral Air Force Station → Cape Canaveral Space Force Station →
launchVehicle	Atlas V 411 →
manufacturer	Airbus Defence and Space →
missionType	heliophysics → solar physics →
name	Solar Orbiter →
objective	improve space weather forecasting capability → investigate origins of the solar wind → study solar energetic particle events → study the Sun up close → study the heliosphere → study the solar poles → understand solar activity → understand the Sun–heliosphere connection →
operator	ESA → European Space Agency →
orbitType	heliocentric orbit →
partnerAgency	National Aeronautics and Space Administration →
perihelionDistance	about 0.28 astronomical units →
powerSource	solar arrays →
program	ESA Cosmic Vision programme →
scienceGoal	link in-situ measurements of the solar wind to their source regions on the Sun → observe the Sun’s polar regions for the first time with high resolution →
sciencePhaseStart	2021 →
spaceAgency	European Space Agency →
spacecraftBus	Airbus DS-built platform →
spacecraftName	Solar Orbiter →
status	operational →
target	Sun → inner heliosphere →
thermalProtection	heat shield for close solar approach →

Referenced by (6)

Subject (surface form when different)	Predicate
Solar Orbiter mission ("Spectral Imaging of the Coronal Environment") → Solar Orbiter mission ("Solar Orbiter Heliospheric Imager") →	hasInstrument
European Space Agency ("Solar Orbiter") →	mission
Solar Orbiter mission ("Solar Orbiter") →	name
Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research →	participatedIn
Solar Orbiter mission ("Solar Orbiter") →	spacecraftName