European Space Agency spacecraft Solar Orbiter is in the final stages of spacecraft integration at the Airbus spacecraft assembly hall in Stevenage, UK. Photo courtesy of Airbus

Stevenage, UK – August 21, 2017

Today’s total Solar Eclipse across the United States of America will provide a spectacular view of the mysterious Solar Corona, the one million degree “halo” around the sun, which can only be seen from Earth when the Moon passes in front of the bright solar disk, which otherwise completely drowns out the faint light of the corona.

European Space Agency spacecraft Solar Orbiter is in the final stages of spacecraft integration at the Airbus spacecraft assembly hall in Stevenage, UK. Photo courtesy of Airbus

Scientists lucky enough to be able to see the Solar Eclipse from Earth will be studying this rare glimpse of the corona during the one hundred and sixty seconds or less that the eclipse lasts, to try to answer the many unanswered questions about this mysterious corona.
Noone yet knows for instance, why the corona is more than 100 times hotter than the surface of the Sun.

SPOT 7 #satellite unveiling the beauty of Mount Aso, the largest active caldera in Japan. August 22, 2017 Photo courtesy of Airbus Space

Meanwhile the European Space Agency spacecraft Solar Orbiter is in the final stages of spacecraft integration at the Airbus spacecraft assembly hall in Stevenage, UK.

Solar Orbiter will be launched in February 2019 into a close orbit around the Sun and will allow scientists to study the solar corona in much more detail, for much longer periods, and at a much closer distance that can ever be reached here on the ground, or for that matter, by any spacecraft circling the Earth.

Airbus built #Sentinel5 Precursor #satellite ready for launch. July 24, 2017 Photo courtesy of Airbus

10 instruments will be flown that will study not only the corona but the Sun’s disk in great detail, the solar wind and the solar magnetic fields which will give us unprecedented insight into how our star works, and how we can better predict periods of stormy “space-weather” that the Sun throws our way from time to time.

Airbus-built telecommunication satellite SES-12 (artist view). Photo courtesy of Airbus

The last of the ten instruments is being installed this month and the next step is system testing before the heatshield, antennas and boom are added towards the end of the year.

In addition, the first instrument end-to-end electrical test has been performed successfully showing that the system works completely as expected.

Airbus telecommunication satellite ARABSAT 6B, at Airbus clean room in Toulouse. August 23, 2017 Photo courtesy of Airbus

By the time of the next global total eclipse, across the Pacific Ocean and South America on 2nd July 2019, Solar Orbiter will have begun its three and a half year journey to the inner solar system to get close to our Sun.


About Airbus

Airbus is a global leader in aeronautics, space and related services. In 2016, it generated revenues of € 67 billion and employed a workforce of around 134,000.

Airbus offers the most comprehensive range of passenger airliners from 100 to more than 600 seats.

Airbus is also a European leader providing tanker, combat, transport and mission aircraft, and is one of the world’s leading space companies.

In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions worldwide.


Contact

Jeremy Close
Media Relations Space Systems and Focal Point UK
+44 7766 536 572
jeremy.close@airbus.com  


Source: Airbus Newsroom

http://www.airbus.com/newsroom.html  



ASTROMAN Magazine - 2017.06.24

Airbus: USD40 billion of new commercial aircraft orders at Paris Air Show 2017

https://www.astroman.com.pl/index.php?mod=magazine&a=read&id=2283  


ASTROMAN Magazine - 2017.06.04

Airbus: First high power all-electric satellite, EUTELSAT 172B, launched by Ariane 5

https://www.astroman.com.pl/index.php?mod=magazine&a=read&id=2268  


ASTROMAN Magazine - 2016.09.11

Airbus Defence and Space's PerúSAT-1 satellite ready for take-off

https://www.astroman.com.pl/index.php?mod=magazine&a=read&id=2118  


ASTROMAN Magazine - 2015.07.26

Airbus Defence and Space to build JUICE spacecraft, ESA's next life-tracker inside the Solar System

https://www.astroman.com.pl/index.php?mod=magazine&a=read&id=1941  


ASTROMAN Magazine - 2015.06.14

Airbus Helicopters static display at Paris Airshow presents today's and tomorrow's best-sellers

https://www.astroman.com.pl/index.php?mod=magazine&a=read&id=1928  


ASTROMAN Magazine - 2013.09.21

Airbus Selects Oracle Secure Global Desktop to Increase Efficiency and Accelerate Time to Market

https://www.astroman.com.pl/index.php?mod=magazine&a=read&id=1558  


ASTROMAN Magazine - 2012.06.02

EADS Confirms Top Management Changes

https://www.astroman.com.pl/index.php?mod=magazine&a=read&id=1248  


ASTROMAN Magazine – 2012.01.29

EADS Board of Directors announces future top management appointments and Board composition

https://www.astroman.com.pl/index.php?mod=magazine&a=read&id=1162  


ASTROMAN Magazine – 2012.03.25

Boeing, Airbus and Embraer to Collaborate on Aviation Biofuel Commercialization

https://www.astroman.com.pl/index.php?mod=magazine&a=read&id=1211  


ASTROMAN Magazine – 2011.10.29

Airbus President and CEO Tom Enders calls for a global aviation vision

https://www.astroman.com.pl/index.php?mod=magazine&a=read&id=1086  


ASTROMAN Magazine – 2011.08.16

CIT Aerospace signs firm order for 50 Airbus A320neo aircraft

https://www.astroman.com.pl/index.php?mod=magazine&a=read&id=1038  


ASTROMAN Magazine – 2011.08.15

Airbus A380 goes transpacific with Korean Air from Seoul to New York

https://www.astroman.com.pl/index.php?mod=magazine&a=read&id=1037  


ASTROMAN Magazine – 2011.07.03

China's CAS and ICBC Leasing buy 88 Airbus A320 Family aircraft

https://www.astroman.com.pl/index.php?mod=magazine&a=read&id=1010  


ASTROMAN Magazine – 2011.06.05

Airbus delivers 50th aircraft to China & 100th aircraft to British Airways & 200th aircraft to easyJet

https://www.astroman.com.pl/index.php?mod=magazine&a=read&id=987  


ASTROMAN Magazine – 2011.05.22

Eurocopter unveils the first EC145 Mercedes-Benz Style helicopter

https://www.astroman.com.pl/index.php?mod=magazine&a=read&id=976  


ASTROMAN Magazine – 2011.02.19

Jean-Pierre Talamoni appointed as Director of International Development at EADS

https://www.astroman.com.pl/index.php?mod=magazine&a=read&id=895  


ASTROMAN Magazine – 2010.09.06

German Airbus A350 XWB Production commences

https://www.astroman.com.pl/index.php?mod=magazine&a=read&id=800  


ASTROMAN Magazine – 2010.07.04

Spirit AeroSystems and Airbus open high-tech facility in Kinston, N.C.

https://www.astroman.com.pl/index.php?mod=magazine&a=read&id=754  


ASTROMAN Magazine – 2011.02.19

Skymark Airlines of Japan confirms order for four A380s with Airbus

https://www.astroman.com.pl/index.php?mod=magazine&a=read&id=896