Solar Orbiter

Solar OrbiterESA’s Solar Orbiter mission is conceived to perform a close-up study of our Sun and inner heliosphere - the uncharted innermost regions of our Solar System- to better understand, and even predict, the unruly behaviour of the star on which our lives depend. At its closest point, the spacecraft will be closer to the Sun than any previous spacecraft, braving the fierce heat and will carry its telescopes to almost one-quarter of Earth's distance from our nearest star. It will provide unique data and imagery of the Sun.

 

 

 

Read more at:

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Solar_Orbiter

 

Image appeared in Issue 14 of magazine "All About Space".