Sun  ID: 3966

Heliospheric Future: Parker Solar Probe (formerly Solar Probe Plus) & Solar Orbiter

Visualizations by Tom Bridgman Released on September 20, 2012
There is a newer version of this story located here: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4653
Two future missions scheduled for detailed studies of the Sun and solar atmosphere are Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter.

Parker Solar Probe will move in a highly-elliptical orbit, using gravity-assists from Venus to move it closer to the Sun with each pass. The goal is to get the spacecraft to fly through the corona at a distance of 9.5 solar radii.

Solar Orbiter will use Earth and Venus gravity assists to move into a relatively circular orbit, inside the orbit of Mercury for monitoring the Sun.

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This movie illustrates the planned trajectories for Solar Orbiter and Parker Solar Probe.
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Opening view of the inner solar system, 2016.
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Solar Orbiter leaves Earth and gets a gravity-assist from Venus.
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Parker Solar Probe enters an elliptical solar orbit.
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Parker Solar Probe uses repeated Venus flybys to move its perihelion closer to the Sun.
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Solar Orbiter & Parker Solar Probe approach their final orbits.
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An End-of-Mission configuration.
 

Used Elsewhere In

Touching the Sun

Newer Version

Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter Trajectories

Related

2017 Spring Equinox Live Shots

Visualization Credits

Tom Bridgman (Global Science and Technology, Inc.): Lead Animator
Scott Wiessinger (USRA): Producer
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

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https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3966

Missions:
SDO
Parker Solar Probe

Data Used:
SPICE Ephemerides also referred to as: SPICE Ephemerides
Ephemeris - NASA/JPL - Solar Orbiter: 2017-01-01 to 2027-02-26; Solar Probe Plus: 2018-07-31 to 2025-12-06
Satellite and planetary ephemerides
view all stories where this data set is used
JPL DE421 also referred to as: DE421
Ephemeris - NASA/JPL - 2017-01-01 to 2027-02-26
Planetary ephemerides
view all stories where this data set is used
Note: While we identify the data sets used in these visualizations, we do not store any further details nor the data sets themselves on our site.

This item is part of this series:
NASM2012

Keywords:
SVS >> HDTV
SVS >> Solar Wind
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Sun-earth Interactions
SVS >> Space Weather
SVS >> Hyperwall
SVS >> SDO
SVS >> Heliophysics
SVS >> Corona
SVS >> Satellite Orbit
NASA Science >> Sun
SVS >> Solar Probe Plus
SVS >> Solar Orbiter

GCMD keywords can be found on the Internet with the following citation: Olsen, L.M., G. Major, K. Shein, J. Scialdone, S. Ritz, T. Stevens, M. Morahan, A. Aleman, R. Vogel, S. Leicester, H. Weir, M. Meaux, S. Grebas, C.Solomon, M. Holland, T. Northcutt, R. A. Restrepo, R. Bilodeau, 2013. NASA/Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Earth Science Keywords. Version 8.0.0.0.0