AbstractThe space-based Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) is a joint venture of ESA and NASA within the frame of the Solar Terrestrial Science Programme (STSP), the first ”Cornerstone“ of ESA’s long-term programme ”Space Science — Horizon 2000“. The principal scientific objectives of the SOHO mission are: a) a better understanding of the structure and dynamics of the solar interior using techniques of helioseismology, and b) a better insight into the physical processes that form and heat the Sun’s corona, maintain it and give rise to its acceleration into the solar wind. To achieve these goals, SOHO carries a payload consisting of 12 sets of complementary instruments which are briefly described here.
ESA Space Science Programme, Cosmic Vision 2015-2025, for astrophysics