Solar Orbiter spacecraft
Solar Orbiter is ESA's near-Sun observatory spacecraft, built in Stevenage by Airbus Defence and Space for a joint ESA-NASA mission. Its heat-shielded platform combines remote-sensing and in-situ observations while Venus gravity assists raise its heliographic latitude for views of the Sun's polar regions.
Follow this vehicle family
Alerts for directly linked future launches and major activity.
Identity
- Aliases
- Solar OrbiterSolOSolar Orbiter spacecraft
- Family Name
- Solar Orbiter
- Full Name
- Solar Orbiter spacecraft
- Roles
- interplanetary_probeorbiterobservatory
- Status
- active
- Type
- spacecraft
Details
- Description
- Solar Orbiter is ESA's near-Sun observatory spacecraft, built in Stevenage by Airbus Defence and Space for a joint ESA-NASA mission. Its heat-shielded platform combines remote-sensing and in-situ observations while Venus gravity assists raise its heliographic latitude for views of the Sun's polar regions.
- Dimensions
- Height M
- 2.5
- Length M
- 3.1
- Width M
- 2.7
- First Flight Year
- 2,020
- Last Flight Year
- 2,020
- Manufacturer
- Operator
- Spacecraft Specs
- Launch Mass Kg
- 1,800
- Reusability
- expendable
Links
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- July 31, 2026 at 23:15:04 UTC
- Updated Time
- July 31, 2026 at 23:15:04 UTC
Other
- Programs