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Accueil > A propos du LPP > Communication > Actualités archivées > 2020 > Successful Solar Orbiter launch

Successful Solar Orbiter launch

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LPP is taking part in the Solar Orbiter mission, which was launched from Florida on the night of 9 to 10 February. Objectives : to explore the solar wind and understand the activity of our Star through in situ measurements and new telescope observations.

The European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter mission took off during the night of 9 to 10 February from Cape Canaveral, carried away by an Atlas V rocket supplied by NASA. Thanks to the gravitational assistance of Venus and Earth, the probe will approach less than one third of the Earth-Sun distance and observe for the first time the poles of the day’s star as it exits the ecliptic plane. At the same time, the properties of the solar wind around the probe will be analysed by measuring instruments to which the LPP has largely contributed.
The aim of the mission is to understand the origin and dynamics of the solar wind that fills the interplanetary space and to elucidate the mechanisms of generating the solar magnetic field. It reconfigures abruptly during solar flares that can send energy particles, ionizing radiation, and magnetized plasma clouds throughout the heliosphere. These events severely affect our environment : they can damage satellites in Earth’s orbit and affect our communication and positioning capabilities. The mission will provide a better understanding of the origin and propagation of these major space disturbances in the heliosphere.

The LPP contributes to 2 of the 4 in situ measuring instruments. It provided the electron detection system of the SWA instrument (Solar Wind Analyzer). These sensors were calibrated in Jussieu’s clean room. They will provide high angular resolution measurements of electron distributions. The low frequency electromagnetic wave analyser of the RPW (Radio and Plasma Waves) instrument was also developed at LPP by the group located in Palaiseau. The analyzer reduces the amount of data transmitted to the ground while optimizing the scientific value of the data. It delivers a wide range of products from simple waveforms to elaborate spectra.

Solar Orbiter (à gauche) fonctionnera de concert avec Parker Solar Probe (à droite)

Solar Orbiter will operate in concert with NASA Parker Solar Probe launched in August 2018 and which has already approached the Sun, in the ecliptic plane, at less than 35 solar radii. Parker Solar Probe, which also uses LPP electron detection system, will approach the Sun at a minimum distance of 9 solar radii, but cannot observe it directly. Thanks to its telescopes, Solar Orbiter will provide the context of the space environment in which the NASA probe operates. Solar Orbiter and Parker Solar Probe open a golden age for the study of the Sun and heliospheric plasmas.

Voir en ligne : https://www.esa.int/Science_Explora...

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Exploitant du site : Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas, Ecole Polytechnique route de Saclay F-91128 PALAISEAU CEDEX
Hébergeur : Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas, Ecole Polytechnique route de Saclay F-91128 PALAISEAU CEDEX
Directeur de la publication : Anne Bourdon (Directrice)

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