Solar Orbiter spacecraft sunshield testing at the Large Space Simulator at ESA's Technical Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. Solar Orbiter (SolO) is a spacecraft under development by the European Space Agency (ESA). It is planned for launch in 2020. At its closest approach in its orbit, it will be around 42 million kilometres from the Sun. The instruments it will carry include the Solar Wind Analyser, the Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager, and the Radio and Plasma Wave analyser. Solar Orbiter will study the heliosphere, the bubble created in space by the solar wind. It will be the first satellite to provide close-up views of the Sun's polar regions. It will also attain high speeds, nearly matching the Sun's axial rotation. The sunshield will need to withstand temperatures as high as 520 degrees Celsius. Photographed on 2 May 2014. | |
Lizenzart: | Lizenzpflichtig |
Credit: | Science Photo Library / EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY, Anneke Le Floc'h |
Bildgröße: | 4929 px × 3281 px |
Modell-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
Eigentums-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
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