List of heliophysics missions

Last updated

This is a list of missions supporting heliophysics, including solar observatory missions, solar orbiters, and spacecraft studying the solar wind. [1]

Contents

Past and current missions

SpacecraftLaunch dateOperatorOrbitOutcomeRemarksCarrier rocket
Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor Satellite (ACRIMSAT)20 December 1999 NASA low Earth (Sun-synchronous)SuccessContact lost 14 December 2013Taurus 2110
Aditya-L1 2 September 2023 ISRO Earth-Sun L1 HaloOperationalPSLV-XL(C57)
Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE)25 August 1997 NASA Earth-Sun L1 LissajousOperationalDelta II 7920-8
Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM)25 April 2007 NASA low Earth (Sun-synchronous)OperationalPegasus-XL
Ariel 1 26 April 1962 SERC/NASA low EarthSuccessDeorbited 24 May 1976Thor DM-19 Delta
Balloon Array for Radiation-belt Relativistic Electron Losses (BARREL)January 2013 NASA atmosphericSuccesstotal of 63 flights, last launched 30 August 2016high-altitude balloons
Cluster 4 June 1996 ESA highly elliptical geocentricFailure at launch4 spacecraftAriane 5G
Cluster II 16 July 2000 ESA high EarthOperational4 Spacecraft, replaced the original Cluster mission that failed on launch.Soyuz-U/Fregat
Coupled Ion-Neutral Dynamics Investigations (CINDI)16 April 2008 NASA low EarthSuccessDeorbited 28 November 2015Pegasus-XL
Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR)11 February 2015 NASA/NOAA Earth-Sun L1 LissajousOperationalFalcon 9 v1.1
Double Star 29 December 2003 CNSA/ESA highly elliptical geocentricSuccess2 spacecraft, deorbited 14 October 2007Long March 2C
Equator-S 2 December 1997 ISTP/MPE geosynchronous transferPartial success (terminated early)Contact lost 1 May 1998Ariane 4 (44P)
Explorer 10 25 March 1961 NASA highly elliptical geocentricSuccessDeorbited 1 June 1968Thor DM-19 Delta
Explorer 50 (IMP-8)26 October 1973 NASA high EarthSuccessContact lost 7 October 2006Delta (1913)
Fast Auroral Snapshot Explorer (FAST)21 August 1996 NASA low EarthSuccessDecommissioned 4 May 2009Pegasus-XL
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)16 October 1975 NASA/NOAA geostationaryOperational18 spacecraft launched, 5 still in operation, 1 more plannedvarious
Geotail 24 July 1992 ISAS/NASA high EarthSuccessDeactivated 28 November 2022.Delta II 6925
Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) (aboard SES-14)26 January 2018 NASA geosynchronousOperationalAriane 5 ECA
Helios 10 December 1974 NASA / DFVLR heliocentricSuccess2 spacecraft, last contact 10 Feb 1986Titan IIIE/Star-37
Hinode (Solar-B)23 September 2006 JAXA  / NASA  / PPARC low Earth (Sun-synchronous)OperationalM-V
IBEX 19 October 2008 NASA high EarthOperationalPegasus-XL/Star-27
IMAGE 25 March 2000 NASA high EarthSuccessContact lost 18 December 2005Delta II 7326-9.5
Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS)27 June 2013 NASA low Earth (Sun-synchronous)OperationalPegasus-XL
ISEE-1 22 October 1977 NASA high EarthSuccessDeorbited 26 September 1987Thor-Delta 2914
ISEE-2 22 October 1977 NASA high EarthSuccessDeorbited 26 September 1987Thor-Delta 2914
International Cometary Explorer (ICE)12 August 1978 NASA Earth-Sun L1 halo to heliocentricSuccessContact lost 16 September 2014Delta 2914
Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON)11 October 2019 SSL/NASA low EarthOperationalPegasus-XL
Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS)13 March 2015 NASA highly elliptical geocentricOperational4 spacecraftAtlas V 421
Orbiting Geophysical Observatory (OGO)4 September 1964 NASA various geocentricSuccess (mostly)6 satellites, last Deorbited 29 August 2020various Agena
PAMELA detector (located on Resurs-DK No.1)15 June 2006PAMELA grouplow EarthSuccessDecommissioned 7 February 2016Soyuz-U
Parker Solar Probe
formerly Solar Probe Plus		12 August 2018 NASA heliocentricOperationalDelta IV Heavy
Polar 24 February 1996 NASA highly elliptical geocentricSuccessDecommissioned 28 April 2008Delta II 7925-10
Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscope Imager (RHESSI)5 February 2002 NASA low EarthSuccessDecommissioned 16 August 2018Pegasus-XL
Skylab and the Apollo Telescope Mount 14 May 1973 NASA low EarthSuccessDeorbited 11 July 1979Saturn INT-21
Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)2 December 1995 ESA/NASA Earth-Sun L1 haloOperationalAtlas IIAS
Solar Anomalous and Magnetospheric Particle Explorer (SAMPEX)3 July 1992 NASA/MPE low EarthSuccessDeorbited 13 November 2012Scout G-1
Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)11 February 2010 NASA geosynchronousOperationalAtlas V 401
Solar Maximum Mission (SMM)14 February 1980 NASA low EarthSuccessDeorbited 2 December 1989Delta 3910
Solar Orbiter 10 February 2020 ESA/NASA 24°-inclination heliocentricOperationalAtlas V 411
Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE)25 January 2003 NASA/LASP low EarthSuccessDecommissioned 25 February 2020Pegasus-XL
Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO)25 October 2006 NASA heliocentricOperational2 spacecraft, 1 still operationalDelta II 7925
Space Environment Testbeds (on DSX)25 June 2019 AFRL medium EarthSuccessDecommissioned 31 May 2021Falcon Heavy
Space Technology 5 (ST5)22 March 2006 NASA low Earth (Sun-synchronous)Success3 spacecraft, decommissioned 30 June 2006Pegasus-XL
Spartan 201 (STS-87)19 November 1997 NASA low EarthFailure during deploymentLanded 5 December 1997Space Shuttle Columbia
Student Nitric Oxide Explorer (SNOE)26 February 1998 LASP low EarthSuccessDeorbited 13 December 2003Pegasus-XL
Swarm 22 November 2013 ESA low EarthOperational3 spacecraftRokot / Briz-KM
Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED)7 December 2001 NASA low EarthOperationalDelta II 7920-10
Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS)17 February 2007 NASA variousOperational5 spacecraftDelta II 7925-10C
Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE)1 April 1998 NASA low Earth (Sun-synchronous)SuccessDecommissioned 21 June 2010Pegasus-XL
TWINS A & B28 June 2006 NASA highly elliptical geocentric (Molniya)Success2 spacecraft, decommissioned 2020various
Ulysses 6 October 1990 NASA/ESA high-inclination heliocentricSuccessDecommissioned 30 June 2009Space Shuttle Discovery
Van Allen Probes
formerly Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP)		30 August 2012 NASA highly elliptical geocentricSuccess2 spacecraft, decommissioned 2019Atlas V 401
Voyager 5 September 1977 NASA heliocentric to galactocentricOperational2 spacecraft, both still in operationTitan IIIE
WIND 1 November 1994 NASA Earth-Sun L1 haloOperationalDelta II (7925–10)
Yohkoh (Solar-A)30 August 1991 ISAS / NASA / PPARC low EarthSuccessDeorbited 12 September 2005Mu-3S-II

Proposed missions

SpacecraftLaunch dateOperatorOrbitOutcomeRemarksCarrier rocket
ADvanced Astronomy for HELIophysics (ADAHELI)TBDProposed
Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer (EZIE)After June 2024Planned [2]
PROBA-3 September 2024 ESA Highly elliptical orbitPlanned2 spacecrafts PSLV-XL
Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH)April 2025 NASA Planned
Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE) May 2025 ESA/CAS Highly elliptical orbitPlanned Vega-C
Vigil mid 2020s ESA Earth-Sun L5 and L1Planned2 spacecraft

Graphic

Evolving Heliophysics System Observatory.jpg

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Explorers Program</span> Ongoing United States space exploration program

The Explorers program is a NASA exploration program that provides flight opportunities for physics, geophysics, heliophysics, and astrophysics investigations from space. Launched in 1958, Explorer 1 was the first spacecraft of the United States to achieve orbit. Over 90 space missions have been launched since. Starting with Explorer 6, it has been operated by NASA, with regular collaboration with a variety of other institutions, including many international partners.

Solar physics is the branch of astrophysics that specializes in the study of the Sun. It deals with detailed measurements that are possible only for our closest star. It intersects with many disciplines of pure physics, astrophysics, and computer science, including fluid dynamics, plasma physics including magnetohydrodynamics, seismology, particle physics, atomic physics, nuclear physics, stellar evolution, space physics, spectroscopy, radiative transfer, applied optics, signal processing, computer vision, computational physics, stellar physics and solar astronomy.

The International Solar-Terrestrial Physics Science Initiative is an international research collaboration between NASA, the ESA, and ISAS. Its goal is to study physical phenomena related to the Sun, solar wind and its effects on Earth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstellar Boundary Explorer</span> NASA satellite of the Explorer program

Interstellar Boundary Explorer is a NASA satellite in Earth orbit that uses energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) to image the interaction region between the Solar System and interstellar space. The mission is part of NASA's Small Explorer program and was launched with a Pegasus-XL launch vehicle on 19 October 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">THEMIS</span> NASA satellite of the Explorer program

Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) mission began in February 2007 as a constellation of five NASA satellites to study energy releases from Earth's magnetosphere known as substorms, magnetic phenomena that intensify auroras near Earth's poles. The name of the mission is an acronym alluding to the Titan Themis.

The NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive (NSSDCA) serves as the permanent archive for NASA space science mission data. "Space science" includes astronomy and astrophysics, solar and space plasma physics, and planetary and lunar science. As the permanent archive, NSSDCA teams with NASA's discipline-specific space science "active archives" which provide access to data to researchers and, in some cases, to the general public. NSSDCA also serves as NASA's permanent archive for space physics mission data. It provides access to several geophysical models and to data from some non-NASA mission data. NSSDCA was called the National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) prior to March 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heliophysics</span> Science of the heliosphere

Heliophysics is the physics of the Sun and its connection with the Solar System. NASA defines heliophysics as "(1) the comprehensive new term for the science of the Sun - Solar System Connection, (2) the exploration, discovery, and understanding of Earth's space environment, and (3) the system science that unites all of the linked phenomena in the region of the cosmos influenced by a star like our Sun."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Living With a Star</span> NASA scientific research program

Living With a Star (LWS) is a NASA scientific program to study those aspects of the connected Sun-Earth system that directly affect life and society. LWS is a crosscutting initiative with goals and objectives relevant to NASA's Exploration Initiative, as well as to NASA's Strategic Enterprises. The program is managed by the Heliophysics Science Division of NASA's Science Mission Directorate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madhulika Guhathakurta</span>

Madhulika (Lika) Guhathakurta is an American astrophysicist and scientist with NASA's Heliophysics Science Division. She was the lead program scientist for NASA's Living With a Star initiative and serves as program scientist on the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), Van Allen Probes, and Solar TErrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) missions. Lika was previously the program scientist on SPARTAN-201, a free-flying science instrument platform designed to study velocity and acceleration of the solar wind and observe the sun's corona. These missions were conducted as part of the larger STS-56, STS-69, STS-77, STS-87, and STS-95 mission objectives. She has worked as an educator, scientist, mission designer, directed and managed science programs, and has built instruments for spacecraft. Dr. Guhathakurta is known for her work in heliophysics where she has authored over 100 publications on the subject. She served as the NASA Lead Scientist for the North American Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heliophysics Science Division</span>

The Heliophysics Science Division of the Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA) conducts research on the Sun, its extended Solar System environment, and interactions of Earth, other planets, small bodies, and interstellar gas with the heliosphere. Division research also encompasses geospace—Earth's uppermost atmosphere, the ionosphere, and the magnetosphere—and the changing environmental conditions throughout the coupled heliosphere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NASA Heliophysics</span>

NASA Heliophysics is an aspect of NASA science that enables understanding the Sun, heliosphere, and planetary environments as a single connected system. In addition to solar processes, this domain of study includes the interaction of solar plasma and solar radiation with Earth, the other planets, and the galaxy. By analyzing the connections between the Sun, solar wind, and planetary space environments, the fundamental physical processes that occur throughout the universe are uncovered. Understanding the connections between the Sun and its planets will allow for predicting the impacts of solar interaction on humans, technological systems, and even the presence of life itself. This is also the stated goal of Science Mission Directorate's Heliophysics Research.

Richard R. Fisher is an American astrophysicist who worked in academia and at NASA. He retired in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe</span> Planned NASA heliophysics mission

The Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe(IMAP) is a heliophysics mission that will simultaneously investigate two important and coupled science topics in the heliosphere: the acceleration of energetic particles and interaction of the solar wind with the local interstellar medium. These science topics are coupled because particles accelerated in the inner heliosphere play crucial roles in the outer heliospheric interaction. In 2018, NASA selected a team led by David J. McComas of Princeton University to implement the mission, which is currently planned to launch in February 2025. IMAP will be a Sun-tracking spin-stabilized satellite in orbit about the Sun–Earth L1 Lagrange point with a science payload of ten instruments. IMAP will also continuously broadcast real-time in-situ data that can be used for space weather prediction.

NASA's Solar Terrestrial Probes program (STP) is a series of missions focused on study the Sun-Earth system. It is part of NASA's Heliophysics Science Division within the Science Mission Directorate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicola Fox</span> Heliophysicist

Nicola J. Fox is the Associate Administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. Appointed to the position in February 2023, she is therefore NASA's head of science. She was previously the Director of NASA's Heliophysics Science Division. Fox was the lead scientist for the Parker Solar Probe, and served as the Science and Operations Coordinator for the International Solar-Terrestrial Physics Science Initiative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites</span> Planned NASA heliophysics spacecraft

Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites (TRACERS) is a planned orbiter mission tasked to study the origins of the solar wind and how it affects Earth. TRACERS was proposed by Craig A. Kletzing at the University of Iowa who served as Principal Investigator until his death in 2023. David M. Miles at the University of Iowa was named as Principal Investigator in his stead. The TRACERS mission received US$115 million in funding from NASA.

Solar Cruiser was a planned NASA spacecraft that would have studied the Sun while propelled by a solar sail. The mission would have supported NASA's Solar Terrestrial Probes program by studying how interplanetary space changes in response to the constant outpouring of energy and particles from the Sun and how it interacts with planetary atmospheres. It was expected to launch as a rideshare payload alongside IMAP in February 2025. However, the spacecraft was not selected for further development and project closeout efforts concluded in 2023.

Science-Enabling Technologies for Heliophysics (SETH) is a proposed space mission by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center to launch a small satellite that would demonstrate new technologies to detect solar energetic particles, and demonstrate an optical communication system based on laser pulses.

<i>Equator-S</i> Satellite operational between 1997 and 1998

The Equator-S satellite was a spacecraft constructed by the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics for the International Solar-Terrestrial Physics Science Initiative. It was operational between 2 December 1997 and 1 May 1998.

References

  1. ↑ Heliophysics Research - NASA Archived 2016-08-28 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ↑ "EZIE | Science Mission Directorate". science.nasa.gov. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.