Solar Orbiter - ESA Animations
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- Produced by:
- Genna Duberstein
- View full credits
Solar Orbiter is an European Space Agency (ESA) mission with strong NASA participation. Its mission is to perform unprecedented close-up observations of the Sun and from high-latitudes, providing the first images of the uncharted polar regions of the Sun, and investigating the Sun-Earth connection.
Thrusters & Solar Array Deployment - GIF
Visualization showing the thrusters adjust the attitude of the spacecraft before the solar arrays are deployed. The deployment happens in two stages: the first part takes place about five minutes after separation and is spring-driven, unfolding the solar arrays to about 40% within four minutes. The second part is motorised, and will fully extend the solar arrays. This part takes about ten minutes. The solar arrays will be fully deployed by about 40 minutes after spacecraft separation. Credit: ESA/ATG medialab
Thrusters & Solar Array Deployment - Video
Visualization showing the thrusters adjust the attitude of the spacecraft before the solar arrays are deployed. The deployment happens in two stages: the first part takes place about five minutes after separation and is spring-driven, unfolding the solar arrays to about 40% within four minutes. The second part is motorised, and will fully extend the solar arrays. This part takes about ten minutes. The solar arrays will be fully deployed by about 40 minutes after spacecraft separation. Credit: ESA/ATG medialab
Boom / antenna deployments - GIF
Visualization showing the deployment of various boom/antennas. In the beginning, the first Radio and Plasma Waves (RPW) antenna is deployed. Then the boom hosting a suite of scientific instruments is deployed (MAG, RPW, and SWA to measure the magnetic and electric fields, and solar wind around the spacecraft). Subsequently, the remaining two RPW antennas are deployed. Finally, the high gain antenna dish is unfurled. In reality this sequence is spaced out over a 24 hour period. Credit: ESA/ATG medialab
Boom / antenna deployments - Video
Visualization showing the deployment of various boom/antennas. In the beginning, the first Radio and Plasma Waves (RPW) antenna is deployed. Then the boom hosting a suite of scientific instruments is deployed (MAG, RPW, and SWA to measure the magnetic and electric fields, and solar wind around the spacecraft). Subsequently, the remaining two RPW antennas are deployed. Finally, the high gain antenna dish is unfurled. In reality this sequence is spaced out over a 24 hour period. Credit: ESA/ATG medialab
Venus Flyby - GIF
Visualization of a Venus gravity flyby. Solar Orbiter will make numerous gravity assist flybys of Venus (and one of Earth) over the course of its mission to adjust its orbit, bringing it closer to the Sun and also out of the plane of the Solar System to observe the Sun from progressively higher inclinations. This will result in the spacecraft being able to take the first ever images of the Sun’s polar regions, crucial for understanding how the Sun ‘works’. Credit: ESA/ATG medialab
Venus Flyby - Video
Visualization of a Venus gravity flyby. Solar Orbiter will make numerous gravity assist flybys of Venus (and one of Earth) over the course of its mission to adjust its orbit, bringing it closer to the Sun and also out of the plane of the Solar System to observe the Sun from progressively higher inclinations. This will result in the spacecraft being able to take the first ever images of the Sun’s polar regions, crucial for understanding how the Sun ‘works’. Credit: ESA/ATG medialab
Facing the Sun Part 1 - GIF
This visualization begins by showing small sliding doors in the heatshield open to allow the internally-mounted remote-sensing instruments to observe the Sun. Special windows block out heat to protect the instruments during operations. The doors are closed when the instruments are not observing. Credit: ESA/ATG medialab
Facing the Sun Part 1 - Video
This visualization begins by showing small sliding doors in the heatshield open to allow the internally-mounted remote-sensing instruments to observe the Sun. Special windows block out heat to protect the instruments during operations. The doors are closed when the instruments are not observing. Credit: ESA/ATG medialab
Visualization of Solar Orbiter making an Earth flyby. The spacecraft will make one Earth flyby during the early stages of its mission, in November 2021. It will make numerous flybys of Venus to adjust its orbit, bringing it closer to the Sun and also out of the plane of the Solar System to observe the Sun from progressively higher inclinations. This will result in the spacecraft being able to take the first ever images of the Sun’s polar regions, crucial for understanding how the Sun ‘works’.
Credit: ESA/ATG medialab
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
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Producer
- Genna Duberstein (ADNET Systems, Inc.) [Lead]
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Technical support
- Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET Systems, Inc.)
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Communications
- Emily Baldwin (EJR-Quartz for ESA)
Missions
This visualization is related to the following missions:Related Pages
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ID: 13533 Produced Video
Solar Orbiter Graphics
Read moreCredit: ESA/ATG medialab || ESA_Solo_FacingTheSun_poster.jpg (7016x9933) [12.0 MB] || Credit: ESA/ATG medialab || ESA_Solo_Facing_the_Sun_2_horiz.jpg (3508x2480) [7.6 MB] || Credit: ESA/ATG medialab || ESA_Solo_Facing_the_Sun_2_vertical.jpg (2480x3508) [8.1 MB] || Credit: ESA/ATG medialab || ESA_Solo_Facing_the_Sun_3.jpg (9933x7016) [8.4 MB] ||
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ID: 13534 Produced Video
The Countdown is on for Launch of NASA’s Next Mission to Face the Sun Live Shots
Read moreB-roll and canned interviews will be added by Thursday at 4:00 p.m. ESTSolar Orbiter Will Give Humanity Its First Close-Up Look At The Sun’s Poles || screengrab.png (2306x724) [2.8 MB] || screengrab_print.jpg (1024x321) [99.4 KB] || screengrab_searchweb.png (320x180) [126.2 KB] || screengrab_thm.png (80x40) [8.4 KB] ||
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ID: 13532 Produced Video
Solar Orbiter's Orbit
Read moreAn animation showing the trajectory of Solar Orbiter around the Sun, highlighting the gravity assist manoeuvres that will enable the spacecraft to change inclination to observe the Sun from different perspectives.During the initial cruise phase, which lasts until November 2021, Solar Orbiter will perform two gravity-assist manoeuvres around Venus and one around Earth to alter the spacecraft’s trajectory, guiding it towards the innermost regions of the Solar System. At the same time, Solar Orbiter will acquire in situ data and characterise and calibrate its remote-sensing instruments. The first close solar pass will take place in 2022 at around a third of Earth’s distance from the Sun.The spacecraft’s orbit has been chosen to be ‘in resonance’ with Venus, which means that it will return to the planet’s vicinity every few orbits and can again use the planet’s gravity to alter or tilt its orbit. Initially Solar Orbiter will be confined to the same plane as the planets, but each encounter of Venus will increase its orbital inclination. For example, after the 2025 Venus encounter it will make its first solar pass at 17º inclination, increasing to 33º during a proposed mission extension phase, bringing even more of the polar regions into direct view. ||
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ID: 13528 Produced Video
Solar Orbiter Media Telecon
Read moreNASA and ESA scientists will present Solar Orbiter, the ESA/NASA collaboration soon to start its journey to the Sun, during a media teleconference on Monday, Jan. 27, 2020 at 2 p.m. EST. Mission experts will discuss Solar Obiter’s uniquely tilted orbit, how the mission will capture the first images of the Sun’s North and South poles, and its ability to tackle major solar mysteries with its comprehensive suite of ten different instruments. The teleconference audio will stream live at:https://www.nasa.gov/liveParticipants include:•Nicola Fox, director of the Heliophysics Division in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington•Chris St. Cyr, former NASA project scientist for the mission at NASA Goddard•Yannis Zouganelis, ESA deputy project scientist for Solar Orbiter at the European Space Astronomy Centre in Madrid, Spain•Anne Pacros, ESA Mission and Payload Manager ||
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ID: 13529 Produced Video
NASA y ESA presentarán la última misión al Sol en una teleconferencia de prensa
Read moreCientíficos de la NASA y la Agencia Espacial Europea (ESA, por sus siglas en inglés) presentarán la misión Solar Orbiter, una colaboración de la ESA/NASA que está a punto de iniciar su viaje hacia el Sol, durante una teleconferencia de prensa en español el lunes 27 de enero de 2020 a las 11 am EST. Tres expertos de la misión describirán la órbita inclinada única del Solar Orbiter, cómo la misión capturará las primeras imágenes de los polos norte y sur del Sol, y la capacidad de la nave para abordar los principales misterios solares con su completo conjunto de diez instrumentos. El audio de la teleconferencia se retransmitirá en vivo por: https://www.nasa.gov/live· Teresa Nieves-Chinchilla, científica adjunta de proyecto por parte de la NASA para el Solar Orbiter, Centro de Vuelo Espacial Goddard de la NASA en Greenbelt, Maryland, EE.UU.· Luís Sanchez, jefe de desarrollo de operaciones científicas para el Solar Orbiter, Centro Europeo de Astronomía Espacial de la ESA en Madrid, España.· Yaireska Collado-Vega, líder del equipo de pronóstico de la meteorología espacial en el Centro de Modelos Coordinado por la Comunidad, Centro de Vuelo Espacial Goddard de la NASA en Greenbelt, Maryland, EE.UU. ||
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ID: 13527 Produced Video
![VideoWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Music credits: “Oxide” and “Virtual Tidings” by Andrew Michael Britton [PRS], David Stephen Goldsmith [PRS]; “Progressive Practice” by Emmanuel David Lipszc [SACEM], Franck Lascombes [SACEM], Sebastien Lipszyc [SACEM]; “Political Spectrum” by Laurent Dury [SACEM} from Universal Production MusicComplete transcript available.](/vis/a010000/a013500/a013527/13537_SolarOrbiterOverview_YouTube.00725_print.jpg)
New Mission Will Take First Peek at Sun’s Poles
Read moreA new spacecraft is journeying to the Sun to snap the first pictures of the Sun’s north and south poles. Solar Orbiter, a collaboration between ESA (the European Space Agency) and NASA will have its first opportunity to launch from Cape Canaveral on Feb. 7, 2020, at 11:15 p.m. EST. Launching on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, the spacecraft will use Venus’ and Earth’s gravity to swing itself out of the ecliptic plane — the swath of space, roughly aligned with the Sun’s equator, where all planets orbit. From there, Solar Orbiter's bird’s eye view will give it the first-ever look at the Sun's poles.Read more: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2020/new-mission-will-take-first-peek-at-sun-s-poles ||
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