Precursor Missions to SolO
Solar Orbiter (SolO) will be a sun-orbiting satellite whose key research goals centre around the questions of how is the Heliosphere created and controlled by the sun. To help answer this question it will be investigating solar wind formation in the corona, solar transients and eruptions and the solar dynamo. SolO is far from the first sun-focused satellite, and its research will build on that of several very successful missions in the past. These include, but are by no means limited to; the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SoHO), a joint ESA and NASA mission whose aim was to investigate the outer and inner layers of the sun and observe the solar winds; the Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE), a NASA mission which took numerous pictures of the photosphere and transition region; Ulysses, another ESA/NASA mission which studied, among other things, the solar winds; and Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO), a mission to study coronal mass ejections. In this report we will look at these four missions and their contributions to the SolO mission.
Solar and Heliospheric Observatory
The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory is an ongoing mission which, despite being plagued by issues, has been active for more than 16 years past its initial 2 year life-span. [1] First launched in 1995 as a joint NASA and European Space Agency mission, its primary goal was the investigation of the various layers of the sun and their contributions to solar winds and heliophysics in general. SoHO was outfitted with a suite of instruments including UV cameras, spectrographs and interferometers. Among these, one of the most active instruments was the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI). This instrument images osci...
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Conclusion
To conclude, it is clear that every space mission must both build on the knowledge and experience gained from previous missions, as well as learn from the difficulties and challenges posed by its predecessors, whether they be in establishing orbit, communications or calamities such as that faced by SoHO. Solar Orbiter will use all the information available from these four missions in order to be successful.
References
[1] http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/about/docs/SOHO_Fact_Sheet.pdf Accessed on 27/02/2014
[2] Fleck, Müller, Haugan, Duarte & Siili, 10 years of SoHO ESA Science Bulletin.
[3] Solar Orbiter Definition Study Report, ESA, 2011.
[4] http://trace.lmsal.com/Project/Mission/mission.htm TRACE Mission Description website. Accessed on 28/02/2014
[5] http://trace.lmsal.com/POD/TRACEpodarchive24.html Accessed on 01/3/2014
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AFCEA COPERNICUS Award Winner 2015 - NCTS Far East Detachment Sasebo BCO Mr. Andy Schrader.
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