ESA - Solar Orbiter updates

[Chris Bergin]

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2012/04/esa-sign-big-money-deal-astrium-uk-solar-orbiter/

Wouldn't normally re-write a presser, but it was a good excuse to note the importance of the date and the UK side of things!

[Jim]

Hosted ESA and Astrium at KSC for some Solar Orbiter meetings this week.

[Chris Bergin]

Hosted ESA and Astrium at KSC for some Solar Orbiter meetings this week.

Nice! Those Astrium guys will have enjoyed the area a lot more than Stevenage (not a very nice town ).

[Jim]

Hosted ESA and Astrium at KSC for some Solar Orbiter meetings this week.

Nice! Those Astrium guys will have enjoyed the area a lot more than Stevenage (not a very nice town ).

I might eventually have to go there for some meetings

[woods170]

NASA-related notes about Solar Orbiter:

- Launch vehicle for Solar Orbiter is a NASA-supplied EELV (either Atlas 5 or Delta IV). Back-up launcher is Ariane 5.
- NASA planned two full instruments and two parts of instruments to fly on Solar Orbiter.
- However, due to budgetary constraints, the instrument contribution by NASA has been reduced to one full instrument (SoloHI) and one sensor. This happened march last year.
- The cut SICE and SIS contributions from NASA will be replaced by European instruments.

[woods170]

Hosted ESA and Astrium at KSC for some Solar Orbiter meetings this week.

Launcher related or instrument related?

[bolun]

ESA contracts Astrium UK to build Solar Orbiter

26 April 2012

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMXQLNW91H_index_0.html

[Jim]

Hosted ESA and Astrium at KSC for some Solar Orbiter meetings this week.

Launcher related or instrument related?

Launcher

[woods170]

Hosted ESA and Astrium at KSC for some Solar Orbiter meetings this week.

Launcher related or instrument related?

Launcher

Thank you.

[Hauerg]

NASA will provide the launcher. Where have I heard that before???.

[simpl simon]

NASA will provide the launcher. Where have I heard that before???.

Yeah, ESA science programs include the cost of launch in the program budget, so they are always looking for the cheapest ride. In this case the launch is free for ESA and NASA gets a proportional share in the science equivalent to the cost of the launch.

Works the other way round, too: ESA is providing the launch for JWST, in addition to at least one instrument (from the UK!) as their contribution to the mission, in return for a share in the science.

All achieved with "no exchange of funds".

[Alpha_Centauri]

I think you missed his point.

NASA promised to provide the launcher for Exomars too...

[peter-b]

It's great that the British space industry continues to go from strength to strength! 

[Jim]

I think you missed his point.

NASA promised to provide the launcher for Exomars too...

And NASA also launched SOHO.  So what is the point?

[simpl simon]

I think you missed his point.

NASA promised to provide the launcher for Exomars too...

Yes, I did miss his "point", because I've moved on, as ESA has, as we all should.
There are other examples of failed agreements between ESA and NASA but there's no point in making a point of them.

[bolun]

UK Space Agency makes stellar investment in mission to the Sun

20 Jun 2012

The UK Space Agency has announced a planned £11.5M investment for the scientific payloads for Solar Orbiter - the first medium (M-class) mission in the European Space Agency's (ESA) Cosmic Vision programme. The funding is being shared between British institutions for the development of four of the mission’s instruments to study the Sun.

http://www.bis.gov.uk/ukspaceagency/news-and-events/2012/Jun/uk-space-agency-makes-stellar-investment-in-mission-to-the-sun

[bolun]

Thales Alenia Space wins contract from Italian Space Agency to build Metis instrument for Solar Orbiter

Wed, 16/10/2013

https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/worldwide/space/press-release/thales-alenia-space-wins-contract-italian-space-agency-build-metis

Thales Alenia Space Italy has been awarded a contract by the Italian Space Agency to build the Metis (Multi Element Telescope for Imaging and Spectroscopy) instrument, in conjunction with the company CGS S.p.A. (Compagnia Generale per lo Spazio). The Metis instrument will be used on the European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter scientific satellite.

The company is already contributing one of the key spacecraft components, namely the heat shield that will protect the satellite and its instruments from temperatures up to 700°C when the Solar Orbiter spacecraft reaches the minimum distance from the Sun.

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Not surprisingly.... the Atlas V has been selected to launch this mission. Launch is scheduled in July 2017 on an Atlas V 411.

[Lar]

Not surprisingly.... the Atlas V has been selected to launch this mission. Launch is scheduled in July 2017 on an Atlas V 411.

Actually I for one found it fairly surprising!!!  Any info from ESA on why they made the selection of an Atlas rather than using a european sourced launch vehicle? The ULA presser doesn't really say.

[Proponent]

According to ESA, "Solar Orbiter is an ESA-led mission with strong NASA participation."  I guess the deal is that NASA makes the arrangements for the launch.  There are also two US instruments aboard.