SOLAR (ISS)
ESA science observatory on the Columbus Laboratory
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SOLAR[1] (Solar Monitoring Observatory[2]) was an ESA science observatory on the Columbus Laboratory, which is part of the International Space Station. SOLAR was launched with Columbus in February 2008 aboard STS-122. It was externally mounted to Columbus with the European Technology Exposure Facility (EuTEF). SOLAR has three main space science instruments: SOVIM, SOLSPEC and SOL-ACES.[3] Together they provide detailed measurements of the Sun's spectral irradiance.[4] The SOLAR platform and its instruments are controlled from the Belgian User Support and Operations Centre (B.USOC), located at the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BISA) in Uccle, Belgium.
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Instruments
- SOVIM (Solar Variability and Irradiance Monitor) instrument is based on an earlier instrument (SOVA) which flew aboard the European Retrievable Carrier, launched on STS-46 in 1992.[5] It is designed to measure solar radiation with wavelengths from 200 nanometers - 100 micrometers. This covers near-ultraviolet, visible and infrared areas of the spectrum.
- SOLSPEC (Solar Spectral irradiance measurements) is designed to measure the solar spectral irradiance in the 165- to 3000-nanometer range with high spectral resolution.
- SOL-ACES (Auto-calibrating Extreme Ultraviolet and Ultraviolet spectrometers) consists of four grazing incidence grating spectrometers. They are designed to measure the EUV/UV spectral regime (17 nanometers - 220 nanometers) with moderate spectral resolution.[6]
Mission
The mission was originally planned for a 2003 launch, but was delayed following the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster.[7]
In 2012, the entire 450-tonne station was rotated so SOLAR could observe a full rotation of the Sun continuously.[2] A Solar rotation takes about 24–28 days depending on the latitude.[8]
SOLAR's mission ended in 2017 with the failure of all but one of its instruments. On the morning of 28 January 2020 SOLAR was removed from FRAM 1 where it rested since it was delivered on STS 122 and strapped to the side of Cygnus NG-12 with the SDS placed on the other side. SOLAR was released from the station on 3 February 2020 and burnt up in the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean on 13 March 2020 ending the mission which spent a decade photographing the sun.[9]
Visuals
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