Month: February 2020

The Solar Orbiter spacecraft is heading toward the Sun after a late-night launch from Florida’s Space Coast aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket. The vehicle lifted off from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 11:03 p.m. EST on Sunday, Feb. 9.

After a nominal ascent, the spacecraft separated from the rocket’s Centaur upper stage. At 12:24 a.m. Monday, mission controllers at the European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany, received a signal from the spacecraft indicating that its solar panels had successfully deployed and were drawing power.

“The spacecraft is safe and pointing to the Sun,” said European Space Agency’s (ESA) Cesar Garcia, program manager for Solar Orbiter.

Solar Orbiter is beginning a seven-year mission to study the environment directly surrounding the spacecraft while also observing the Sun, giving scientists a better understanding of how our star can affect the space environment throughout the solar system. The spacecraft also will be the first to provide images of the Sun’s poles.

Before the science phase of the mission can begin, Solar Orbiter will undergo a series of checkouts, from initial deployments and checks of the spacecraft’s systems to turning on and checking its suite of 10 science instruments. According to Garcia, the testing phase should be finalized around the end of June 2020.

Solar Orbiter is a cooperative mission between the ESA and NASA. ESA’s Engineering & Test Center (ESTEC) in The Netherlands managed the development effort. The spacecraft has been developed by Airbus. The European Space Operations Center (ESOC) in Germany will operate Solar Orbiter. The Solar Orbiter mission is managed by ESA; the scientific payload elements of Solar Orbiter are being provided by ESA Member States, NASA and ESA. United Launch Alliance of Centennial, Colorado, provided the Atlas V launch service.

NASA Launch Director Tim Dunn of the agency’s Launch Services Program, which had responsibility for launch management, credited the combined efforts of the ULA, ESA and NASA teams to overcome challenges to make the launch successful.

“This is an international collaboration 10-plus years in the making,” Dunn said. “When a team is focused on mission success, that’s a language that we all speak.”

Solar Orbiter’s solar arrays have deployed and the spacecraft is power-positive.

Solar Orbiter launched atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at 11:03 p.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 41 at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

Solar Orbiter is an international collaborative mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA. The spacecraft will observe the Sun with high spatial resolution telescopes and capture observations in the environment directly surrounding the spacecraft to create a one-of-a-kind picture of how the Sun can affect the space environment throughout the solar system. The spacecraft also will provide the first-ever images of the Sun’s poles and the never-before-observed magnetic environment there, which helps drive the Sun’s 11-year solar cycle and its periodic outpouring of solar storms.

The Solar Orbiter spacecraft team from the European Space Agency has been communicating with the spacecraft, which is confirmed to be in the right position. Deployment of the solar arrays is the next major milestone.

The team has received the signal from the Solar Orbiter spacecraft.

Solar Orbiter is an international collaborative mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA. The spacecraft will observe the Sun with high spatial resolution telescopes and capture observations in the environment directly surrounding the spacecraft to create a one-of-a-kind picture of how the Sun can affect the space environment throughout the solar system. The spacecraft also will provide the first-ever images of the Sun’s poles and the never-before-observed magnetic environment there, which helps drive the Sun’s 11-year solar cycle and its periodic outpouring of solar storms.

The Solar Orbiter spacecraft is flying on its own now after a successful liftoff and ascent aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket and Centaur upper stage. The next critical milestone is the acquisition of signal from the spacecraft.

The Centaur’s main engine has completed its second and final burn, positioning the Solar Orbiter spacecraft for the transfer orbit it needs in order to head toward the Sun and begin its mission. Standing by for separation of Solar Orbiter from the vehicle in about three minutes. Following separation, the team will wait to hear the acquisition of the spacecraft’s signal.

Solar Orbiter launched atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at 11:03 p.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 41 at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

Solar Orbiter is an international collaborative mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA. The spacecraft will observe the Sun with high spatial resolution telescopes and capture observations in the environment directly surrounding the spacecraft to create a one-of-a-kind picture of how the Sun can affect the space environment throughout the solar system. The spacecraft also will provide the first-ever images of the Sun’s poles and the never-before-observed magnetic environment there, which helps drive the Sun’s 11-year solar cycle and its periodic outpouring of solar storms.

The Centaur’s engine is firing once more in its second, and final, burn in tonight’s ascent. This is an approximately seven-minute burn.

As the Centaur upper stage continues its coast phase, its onboard reaction control thrusters are firing periodically to keep propellants settled in the bottom of their tanks in anticipation of the start of the Centaur’s second and final burn.

The first burn of the Centaur upper stage is complete and the vehicle has entered a coast phase of about half an hour.

At the conclusion of the coast phase, the Centaur’s engine will ignite again for an approximately seven-minute burn, followed by another short coast. Separation of the Solar Orbiter spacecraft from the Centaur is expected at about 11:55 p.m. EST.

The first of two burns for the Centaur upper stage is underway following burnout and separation of the Atlas booster. This is an approximately eight-minute burn. The payload fairing, having protected the spacecraft in the early minutes of flight, has separated and fallen away as planned.