Home » ULA Atlas V 411 Rocket to Launch Solar Orbiter Spacecraft From Cape Canaveral Feb. 5

ULA Atlas V 411 Rocket to Launch Solar Orbiter Spacecraft From Cape Canaveral Feb. 5

By  //  December 31, 2019

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spacecraft will make looping orbits around the sun, use 10 instruments to observe solar physic

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V 411 configuration rocket will launch the Solar Orbiter spacecraft on Wednesday, February 5 from Space Launch Complex-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. (NASA image)

BREVARD COUNTY • CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA – A United Launch Alliance Atlas V 411 configuration rocket will launch the Solar Orbiter spacecraft on Wednesday, February 5 from Space Launch Complex-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

The mission of this launch is to study the sun for the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA.

The spacecraft will make looping orbits around the sun and use 10 instruments to observe solar physics in unprecedented detail.

At the closest approach, Solar Orbiter will be about approximately 26 million miles (42 million km) from the sun.

Solar Orbiter is an international cooperative mission between ESA and NASA. ESA’s Engineering & Test Center (ESTEC) in The Netherlands is managing the development effort. Airbus developed the spacecraft.

The European Space Operations Center (ESOC) in Germany will operate Solar Orbiter after launch.

This will be the 137th mission for United Launch Alliance. It is the 82nd for an Atlas V rocket and the 6th in the 411 configuration.

The spacecraft will make looping orbits around the sun and use 10 instruments to observe solar physics in unprecedented detail. (NASA image)
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