N° 17–2019: Call for Media: Last chance to view Europe’s Solar Orbiter
3 October 2019
ESA’s new Sun explorer will leave Europe soon, with final launch preparations starting in November at Cape Canaveral in Florida, US. ESA and Airbus Defence and Space invite members of the media to get a final glimpse of Solar Orbiter on 18 October at IABG’s space test centre in Ottobrunn, near Munich, Germany, before the spacecraft departs for the launch site.
The Sun up close
Solar Orbiter will study the Sun and its dynamic solar wind up close, in much more detail than previously possible. It will observe the as-yet uncharted polar regions of our parent star, and provide key information on how it drives the constantly changing space weather throughout the Solar System. This will help us better understand the star we live with, how it affects the space environment around Earth and beyond.
The spacecraft is currently undergoing final testing and will depart for Florida at the end of October, ahead of its scheduled February 2020 launch from Cape Canaveral.
Experts from ESA, Airbus DS and Solar Orbiter instrument teams will present the mission, its technical challenges and scientific goals during a dedicated programme for media, from 10:30 to 15:00 CEST on Friday 18 October. There will be ample opportunities for interviews with space experts and for taking photos and videos of the spacecraft in the cleanroom.
The event will be conducted in English. There will be no livestream.
Programme outline (all times in CEST)
10.00 Doors open
10:30–10:40 Rudolf F. Schwarz, IABG CEO
Welcome
10:40–10:50 Günther Hasinger, ESA Director of Science
Voyage 2050, ESA’s science programme
10:50–11:00 Eckard Settelmeyer, Airbus DS Head of Earth Observation, Navigation and Science Institutional Satellite Projects
Airbus DS delivering cutting edge technology to ESA’s science programme
11:00–11:10 César García, ESA Solar Orbiter Project Manager
Solar Orbiter mission overview and challenges
11:10–11:20 Ian Walters, Airbus DS Solar Orbiter Project Manager
Solar Orbiter and its challenges for industry
11:20–11:30 Daniel Müller, ESA Solar Orbiter Project Scientist and Holly Gilbert, NASA Deputy Solar Orbiter Project Scientist
Scientific insights of Solar Orbiter
11:30–11:40 Tim Horbury, Solar Orbiter scientist, Imperial College London and Frédéric Auchère, Solar Orbiter scientist, Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale, Université Paris-Sud
In situ and remote sensing science of Solar Orbiter
11:40 – 11:50 Uwe Bertram, IABG Solar Orbiter Project Manager
Environmental Test Campaign at IABG on Solar Orbiter S/C
11:50 – 14:00 Opportunity for questions, followed by a visit to the cleanroom to see the satellite and interview opportunities
14:00 – 15:00 Buffet lunch and interview opportunities
15:00 End of the event
Media registration
Please register by 16 October at presse@iabg.de including the information from the accreditation form (below). A valid ID-Card or Passport is mandatory to enter the event. To enter the cleanroom, wearing of long trousers and sturdy shoes are compulsory. The event will take place at IABG, Einsteinstrasse 20, D-85521 Ottobrunn, Germany.
Photographs will be taken during this event. Please let us know if you do not want to be photographed.
Accreditation form
First Name: ________________________
Surname: _________________________
Nationality: ________________________
Passport No.: ______________________
Issued by: _________________________
Valid until: ________________________
Media: ____________________________
Address: __________________________
Tel: ______________________________
Email: ____________________________
Information
More information about Solar Orbiter: http://sci.esa.int/solar-orbiter
More information about ESA: www.esa.int
Images and videos
Images and videos of Solar Orbiter: https://sci.esa.int/web/solar-orbiter/multimedia-gallery
ESA’s Photo Library for Professionals: http://www.esa-photolibrary.com
ESA’s Video Library for Professionals: http://www.esa.int/esatv/Videos_for_Professionals
Terms and conditions for using ESA images: www.esa.int/spaceinimages/ESA_Multimedia/Copyright_Notice_Images
For questions or more information related to ESA images, please contact directly spaceinimages@esa.int.
Terms and conditions for using ESA videos:
http://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Terms_and_Conditions
For questions or more information related to ESA videos, please contact directly spaceinvideos@esa.int.
Social media
Follow ESA and Solar Orbiter via @esa, @esascience and @esasolarorbiter. The hashtags will be #SolarOrbiter #WeAreAllSolarOrbiters
About the European Space Agency
The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe’s gateway to space.
ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
ESA has 22 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Slovenia is an Associate Member.
ESA has established formal cooperation with seven Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement.
By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. It is working in particular with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes as well as with Eumetsat for the development of meteorological missions.
ESA develops the launchers, spacecraft and ground facilities needed to keep Europe at the forefront of global space activities.
Today, it develops and launches satellites for Earth observation, navigation, telecommunications and astronomy, sends probes to the far reaches of the Solar System and cooperates in the human exploration of space. ESA also has a strong applications programme developing services in Earth observation, navigation and telecommunications.
Learn more about ESA at www.esa.int
For further information, please contact:
ESA Newsroom and Media Relations
Tel: +496151902285
Email: media@esa.int