![]() The probe is currently following an elliptical orbit around the Sun, completing one revolution every 168 days. This should be about one hour after its minimum distance to Earth. Once the orbiter comes up from LEO and passes above Geostationary orbit, it is out of the risk zone. Solar Orbiter will also have to fly through another well-used orbital region, called Geostationary orbit, which again is congested with space debris and other satellites. The manoeuvre will place the spacecraft on to the correct orbit for this phase to begin.īy approaching a planet, satellites can making use of its gravitational pull to add momentum, increase its velocity and propel it onward. Solar Orbiter's flyby on Saturday precedes its main science mission to explore the Sun. 'It is also home to a lot of space debris, meaning that there is a small risk of a collision between Solar Orbiter and some space junk.'ĮSA selected Airbus Defence and Space in Stevenage to build Solar Orbiter in 2012. The $1.5 billion Solar Orbiter was launched in February 2020 following several delays. 'This is in the Low Earth Orbit zone, where the International Space Station and many other spacecraft can be found. 'At closest approach, the spacecraft will be around 460 km above our planet. ![]() 'Solar Orbiter’s crucial flyby of Earth on 27 November will place the spacecraft onto the correct orbit for its science phase to begin,' ESA says. ![]() Space junk, or space debris, is any piece of machinery or debris left by humans in space – usually from no-longer-operational satellites.Įarlier this month, Russia added to the mass of space junk circling Earth by deliberately destroying one of its own defunct satellites, Cosmos 1408 satellite, launched in 1982.Īccording to experts, the space debris from last week's collision over the Atlantic Ocean – which included 'some 1,500 pieces of trackable size' – will cause havoc for spacecraft for years, if not decades.ĮSA outlined the risk space junk will present to Solar Orbiter on its website. The spacecraft runs the small risk of colliding with a cloud of space junk as it comes within 285 miles our planet, in the low Earth orbit (LEO) zone, ESA says.ĮSA will closely monitor the situation and perform collision avoidance manoeuvres if necessary, it said.Īny evasive action will be taken on Friday, about six hours before close approach at around 04:30am GMT. Solar Orbiter, a Sun-observing satellite developed by the European Space Agency (ESA), will perform a 'risky' flyby of Earth on Saturday. ![]()
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