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I spent last night watching the launch of the solar orbiter on NASA TV. For those of you that might not be familiar with this mission, The solar orbiter is a new collaborative mission between ESA (European Space Agency) and NASA to study the Sun,. It launched at 10:03 p.m. CST Sunday on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral,
I just found out that at 12:24 a.m. Monday, mission controllers in Darmstadt, Germany, received a signal from the spacecraft indicating that its solar panels had successfully deployed.
In the first two days after launch, Solar Orbiter will deploy its instrument boom and several antennas that will communicate with Earth and gather scientific data. Solar Orbiter is on a unique trajectory that will allow its comprehensive set of instruments to provide humanity with the first-ever images of the Sun's poles. This trajectory includes 22 close approaches to the Sun, bringing the spacecraft within the orbit of Mercury to study the Sun and its influence on space.
Solar Orbiter combines two main modes of study. Instruments in the orbiter will measure the environment around the spacecraft, detecting such things as electric and magnetic fields and passing particles and waves. Remote-sensing instruments will image the Sun from afar, along with its atmosphere and its outflow of material, collecting data that will help scientists understand the Sun's inner workings.
Following its Earth gravity assist, Solar Orbiter will begin the primary phase of its mission – leading up to its first close pass by the Sun in 2022 – at about a third the distance from the Sun to Earth. Throughout its mission, Solar Orbiter will use successive Venus gravity assists to draw its orbit closer to the Sun and lift it out of the ecliptic plane.
Solar Orbiter’s unique orbit will bring the spacecraft out of the plane that roughly aligns with the Sun's equator where Earth and the other planets deorbit. Spacecraft launched from Earth naturally stay in this plane, which means that telescopes on Earth and telescopes on satellites have limited views of the Sun's north and south poles.
This is really cool and exciting stuff. Will look forward to hearing about deployment of the boom and antennas over the next day or two.
I just found out that at 12:24 a.m. Monday, mission controllers in Darmstadt, Germany, received a signal from the spacecraft indicating that its solar panels had successfully deployed.
In the first two days after launch, Solar Orbiter will deploy its instrument boom and several antennas that will communicate with Earth and gather scientific data. Solar Orbiter is on a unique trajectory that will allow its comprehensive set of instruments to provide humanity with the first-ever images of the Sun's poles. This trajectory includes 22 close approaches to the Sun, bringing the spacecraft within the orbit of Mercury to study the Sun and its influence on space.
Solar Orbiter combines two main modes of study. Instruments in the orbiter will measure the environment around the spacecraft, detecting such things as electric and magnetic fields and passing particles and waves. Remote-sensing instruments will image the Sun from afar, along with its atmosphere and its outflow of material, collecting data that will help scientists understand the Sun's inner workings.
Following its Earth gravity assist, Solar Orbiter will begin the primary phase of its mission – leading up to its first close pass by the Sun in 2022 – at about a third the distance from the Sun to Earth. Throughout its mission, Solar Orbiter will use successive Venus gravity assists to draw its orbit closer to the Sun and lift it out of the ecliptic plane.
Solar Orbiter’s unique orbit will bring the spacecraft out of the plane that roughly aligns with the Sun's equator where Earth and the other planets deorbit. Spacecraft launched from Earth naturally stay in this plane, which means that telescopes on Earth and telescopes on satellites have limited views of the Sun's north and south poles.
This is really cool and exciting stuff. Will look forward to hearing about deployment of the boom and antennas over the next day or two.
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