Testing Solar Orbiter

The Solar Orbiter spacecraft is undergoing important pre-launch tests at the IABG National Space Centre in Ottobrunn, Germany, ahead of its launch, scheduled for February 2020.

The mission will study the Sun, but first the spacecraft must pass vibration, acoustic and shock tests. This will ensure the spacecraft can withstand the stresses of lift off and the extreme environments it will encounter while in orbit around the Sun – from the coldness of space, 150 million km away, to temperatures up to 500 ºC reached when it will be a mere 46 million km away, closer than Mercury.

Solar Orbiter is an ESA-led mission with strong NASA participation. The spacecraft was built and is being tested by Airbus.

This film contains interviews with César García, ESA Solar Orbiter Project Manager, and Ian Walters, Solar Orbiter Project Manager at Airbus Defence and Space.

#ESA
#SpaceScience
#SolarOrbiter

[--Snowy--]

Thank you, ESA! Keep up the great work! 👍

[stutristanx]

What testing do you do on the heatshield specifically how do you simulate the temperatures the heatshield will be exposed to. Thanks for all your hard work on the project. Very excited

[yatietie]

Good job and great mission runs successfully 👍👍
ESA is great 💪

[Nestorb]

Excelente, ESA descubriendo nuevas cosas del universo y educando al planeta.

[tontschman]

Nice! Didn't know it's beeing tested in my neighbourhood. Ottobrunn/Neubiberg <3

[YOLO-tqel]

So basically you are shouting at the satellite to make sure it can withstand all kinds of stress from launch to deployment.

[futuremotivation]

Good work esa.
I hope this mission give us some more knowledge about sun and protect from space weather

[pedroguerrero]

Muy buen reportaje con una buena ecplicacion.

[nonothebot]

@03:30 "To insure that Solar Orbiter is ready for the spotlight" It is NOT a spotlight ! it is the SUN, a real star !