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Solar Orbiter

Active Mission
Solar Orbiter Blog

An international cooperative mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA, Solar Orbiter is a Sun-observing satellite with 10 science instruments, all designed to provide unprecedented insight into how our local star 'works.'

Type

Orbiter

Launch

Feb. 9, 2020

Target

Sun

Objective

Take close-up images of the Sun, observe solar wind and the Sun's polar regions

Media Resources

Illustration of Solar Orbiter

Solar Orbiter SVS Gallery

Animations, videos, images, and more related to Solar Orbiter are available on NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio.

Illustration of Solar Orbiter, which will face the Sun from within the orbit of Mercury at its closest approach.

ESA's Solar Orbiter Website

Learn more about Solar Orbiter with the European Space Agency

Solar Orbiter Stories

Explore All Solar Orbiter Stories
Article
5 Min Read

NASA, ESA Missions Help Scientists Uncover How Solar Wind Gets Energy

Article
5 Min Read

Multiple Spacecraft Tell the Story of One Giant Solar Storm

3 Min Read

A New Space Instrument Captures Its First Solar Eruption

Article
3 Min Read

Unique Solar System Views from NASA Sun-Studying Missions

Article
5 Min Read

ESA/NASA’s Solar Orbiter Returns First Data, Snaps Closest Pictures of the Sun

Article
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