The Solar Orbiter mission – Exploring the Sun and heliosphere

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Mueller ◽  
Yannis Zouganelis ◽  
Teresa Nieves-Chinchilla ◽  
Chris St. Cyr
Keyword(s):  
High Spatial Resolution ◽  
Ecliptic Plane ◽  
Space Mission ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Very High Spatial Resolution ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
Orbiter Mission ◽  
Very High

<p>Solar Orbiter, launched on 10 February 2020, is a space mission of international collaboration between ESA and NASA. It is exploring the linkage between the Sun and the heliosphere and has started to collect unique data at solar distances down to 0.49 AU. By ultimately approaching as close as 0.28 AU, Solar Orbiter will view the Sun with very high spatial resolution and combine this with in-situ measurements of the surrounding heliosphere. Over the course of the mission, the highly elliptical orbit will get progressively more inclined to the ecliptic plane. Thanks to this new perspective, Solar Orbiter will deliver images and comprehensive data of the unexplored Sun’s polar regions and the side of the Sun not visible from Earth. This talk will highlight first science results from Solar Orbiter and provide a mission status update.</p>

Solar Orbiter: Europe's mission to the Sun

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yannis Zouganelis ◽  
Daniel Mueller ◽  
Chris St Cyr ◽  
Holly Gilbert ◽  
Teresa Nieves-Chinchilla
Keyword(s):  
High Spatial Resolution ◽  
Solar Wind Plasma ◽  
Ecliptic Plane ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Physical Processes ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
Orbiter Mission

<p><span>ESA’s Solar Orbiter mission is scheduled for launch in February 2020, and will focus on exploring the linkage between the Sun and the heliosphere. It is a collaborative mission with NASA that will collect unique data that will allow us to study, e.g., the coupling between macroscopic physical processes to those on kinetic scales, the generation of solar energetic particles and their propagation into the heliosphere, and the origin and acceleration of solar wind plasma. By approaching as close as 0.28 AU, Solar Orbiter will view the Sun with high spatial resolution and combine this with in-situ measurements of the surrounding heliosphere. Over the course of the mission, the highly elliptical orbit will get progressively more inclined to the ecliptic plane. Thanks to this new perspective, Solar Orbiter will deliver images and comprehensive data of the unexplored Sun’s polar regions and the side of the Sun not visible from Earth. This talk will provide a mission overview, highlight synergies with NASA’s Parker Solar Probe and summarise current status.</span></p>

scholarly journals Assessing Water Stress of Desert Tamarugo Trees Using in situ Data and Very High Spatial Resolution Remote Sensing

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (10) ◽  
pp. 5064-5088 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Chávez ◽  
Jan Clevers ◽  
Martin Herold ◽  
Edmundo Acevedo ◽  
Mauricio Ortiz
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Water Stress ◽  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
High Spatial Resolution ◽  
In Situ Data ◽  
Very High Spatial Resolution ◽  
Very High

scholarly journals 6. Space Observations of Solar System Objects

1985 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 642-643
Author(s):  
J. Caldwell
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Phase Angle ◽  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Spectral Range ◽  
High Spatial Resolution ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Solar System Objects ◽  
Very High Spatial Resolution ◽  
Very High

Solar system objects may be studied in space by two general techniques. Everyone is familiar with the exciting aspects of deep space probes: very high spatial resolution; in situ measurements of particles and fields; in situ chemistry studies by mass spectrographs and gas chromatographs; unique phase angle and occultation opportunities. However, the Solar system can also be studied to great advantage by observatories in orbit around the Earth. The broader spectral range available above the terrestrial atmosphere is as important for planetary studies as it is for investigations of more distant astronomical targets. Both techniques will be discussed in this brief report.

scholarly journals The Solar Orbiter mission

2020 ◽  
Vol 642 ◽  
pp. A1 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Müller ◽  
O. C. St. Cyr ◽  
I. Zouganelis ◽  
H. R. Gilbert ◽  
R. Marsden ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Ecliptic Plane ◽  
Trajectory Design ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Cosmic Vision ◽  
Science Operations ◽  
Heliospheric Physics ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Orbiter Mission

Aims. Solar Orbiter, the first mission of ESA’s Cosmic Vision 2015–2025 programme and a mission of international collaboration between ESA and NASA, will explore the Sun and heliosphere from close up and out of the ecliptic plane. It was launched on 10 February 2020 04:03 UTC from Cape Canaveral and aims to address key questions of solar and heliospheric physics pertaining to how the Sun creates and controls the Heliosphere, and why solar activity changes with time. To answer these, the mission carries six remote-sensing instruments to observe the Sun and the solar corona, and four in-situ instruments to measure the solar wind, energetic particles, and electromagnetic fields. In this paper, we describe the science objectives of the mission, and how these will be addressed by the joint observations of the instruments onboard. Methods. The paper first summarises the mission-level science objectives, followed by an overview of the spacecraft and payload. We report the observables and performance figures of each instrument, as well as the trajectory design. This is followed by a summary of the science operations concept. The paper concludes with a more detailed description of the science objectives. Results. Solar Orbiter will combine in-situ measurements in the heliosphere with high-resolution remote-sensing observations of the Sun to address fundamental questions of solar and heliospheric physics. The performance of the Solar Orbiter payload meets the requirements derived from the mission’s science objectives. Its science return will be augmented further by coordinated observations with other space missions and ground-based observatories.

scholarly journals High spatial resolution photo mosaicking for the monitoring of coralligenous reefs

Coral Reefs ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Casoli ◽  
D. Ventura ◽  
G. Mancini ◽  
D. S. Pace ◽  
A. Belluscio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
High Spatial Resolution ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Pixel Resolution ◽  
Recording Apparatus ◽  
Assemblage Composition ◽  
Very High Spatial Resolution ◽  
Vertical Walls ◽  
Non Destructive ◽  
Very High

AbstractCoralligenous reefs are characterized by large bathymetric and spatial distribution, as well as heterogeneity; in shallow environments, they develop mainly on vertical and sub-vertical rocky walls. Mainly diver-based techniques are carried out to gain detailed information on such habitats. Here, we propose a non-destructive and multi-purpose photo mosaicking method to study and monitor coralligenous reefs developing on vertical walls. High-pixel resolution images using three different commercial cameras were acquired on a 10 m2 reef, to compare the effectiveness of photomosaic method to the traditional photoquadrats technique in quantifying the coralligenous assemblage. Results showed very high spatial resolution and accuracy among the photomosaic acquired with different cameras and no significant differences with photoquadrats in assessing the assemblage composition. Despite the large difference in costs of each recording apparatus, little differences emerged from the assemblage characterization: through the analysis of the three photomosaics twelve taxa/morphological categories covered 97–99% of the sampled surface. Photo mosaicking represents a low-cost method that minimizes the time spent underwater by divers and capable of providing new opportunities for further studies on shallow coralligenous reefs.

scholarly journals Mapping Urban Functional Zones by Integrating Very High Spatial Resolution Remote Sensing Imagery and Points of Interest: A Case Study of Xiamen, China

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1737 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinchao Song ◽  
Tao Lin ◽  
Xinhu Li ◽  
Alexander V. Prishchepov
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
High Spatial Resolution ◽  
Remote Sensing Images ◽  
Remote Sensing Imagery ◽  
Points Of Interest ◽  
Very High Spatial Resolution ◽  
Functional Zones ◽  
Very High

Fine-scale, accurate intra-urban functional zones (urban land use) are important for applications that rely on exploring urban dynamic and complexity. However, current methods of mapping functional zones in built-up areas with high spatial resolution remote sensing images are incomplete due to a lack of social attributes. To address this issue, this paper explores a novel approach to mapping urban functional zones by integrating points of interest (POIs) with social properties and very high spatial resolution remote sensing imagery with natural attributes, and classifying urban function as residence zones, transportation zones, convenience shops, shopping centers, factory zones, companies, and public service zones. First, non-built and built-up areas were classified using high spatial resolution remote sensing images. Second, the built-up areas were segmented using an object-based approach by utilizing building rooftop characteristics (reflectance and shapes). At the same time, the functional POIs of the segments were identified to determine the functional attributes of the segmented polygon. Third, the functional values—the mean priority of the functions in a road-based parcel—were calculated by functional segments and segmental weight coefficients. This method was demonstrated on Xiamen Island, China with an overall accuracy of 78.47% and with a kappa coefficient of 74.52%. The proposed approach could be easily applied in other parts of the world where social data and high spatial resolution imagery are available and improve accuracy when automatically mapping urban functional zones using remote sensing imagery. It will also potentially provide large-scale land-use information.

scholarly journals The Solar Orbiter Science Activity Plan

2020 ◽  
Vol 642 ◽  
pp. A3 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Zouganelis ◽  
A. De Groof ◽  
A. P. Walsh ◽  
D. R. Williams ◽  
D. Müller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Activity Cycle ◽  
Solar Activity Cycle ◽  
Coronal Magnetic Field ◽  
Space Mission ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Particle Radiation ◽  
Science Activity ◽  
Science Operations ◽  
Solar Eruptions

Solar Orbiter is the first space mission observing the solar plasma both in situ and remotely, from a close distance, in and out of the ecliptic. The ultimate goal is to understand how the Sun produces and controls the heliosphere, filling the Solar System and driving the planetary environments. With six remote-sensing and four in-situ instrument suites, the coordination and planning of the operations are essential to address the following four top-level science questions: (1) What drives the solar wind and where does the coronal magnetic field originate?; (2) How do solar transients drive heliospheric variability?; (3) How do solar eruptions produce energetic particle radiation that fills the heliosphere?; (4) How does the solar dynamo work and drive connections between the Sun and the heliosphere? Maximising the mission’s science return requires considering the characteristics of each orbit, including the relative position of the spacecraft to Earth (affecting downlink rates), trajectory events (such as gravitational assist manoeuvres), and the phase of the solar activity cycle. Furthermore, since each orbit’s science telemetry will be downloaded over the course of the following orbit, science operations must be planned at mission level, rather than at the level of individual orbits. It is important to explore the way in which those science questions are translated into an actual plan of observations that fits into the mission, thus ensuring that no opportunities are missed. First, the overarching goals are broken down into specific, answerable questions along with the required observations and the so-called Science Activity Plan (SAP) is developed to achieve this. The SAP groups objectives that require similar observations into Solar Orbiter Observing Plans, resulting in a strategic, top-level view of the optimal opportunities for science observations during the mission lifetime. This allows for all four mission goals to be addressed. In this paper, we introduce Solar Orbiter’s SAP through a series of examples and the strategy being followed.

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