The Solar Orbiter, which has Portuguese technology onboard, should do its first closest passage to the Sun in March 2022. The device will be 42 million kilometres from the Sun at its closest approach. Active Space, Deimos Engenharia and Critical Software are the Portuguese companies involved in the project.

The spacecraft will be close enough to take images of the surface of the star, including the poles, and will measure the properties of the environment in its proximity. An achievement made possible thanks to the thermal protection structures developed by the Portuguese SME Active Space Technologies. Active Space Technologies manufactured titanium components for the support and orientation arm of the satellite’s communication antenna with the Earth and titanium channels for the passage of light, which pass through the device’s heat shield.

Also, Critical Software was responsible for developing several satellite software systems, such as central command and control systems, fault detection and recovery systems and thermal behaviour management.

On the other hand, Deimos Engenharia worked in the definition and implementation of the strategy to test the Solar Orbiter flight systems.

“The Portuguese involvement in the Solar Orbiter mission is another example of the skills that Portugal has developed over the years. Portuguese companies have the know-how to cooperate with largest systems integrators and deliver”, states the President of Portugal Space. “By subscribing nearly 103 million to ESA for the next years, Portugal is contributing to Portuguese companies winning new projects, developing even more know-how and conquering new markets.”

The European Space Agency (ESA) is conducting the mission together with its US counterpart NASA. Scientist hope to go beyond the limits of space technology and prepare for future space missions in extreme conditions. More importantly, it will help to predict and minimise the impacts of the so-called solar storms.

Source: ECO NEWS, PORTUGAL SPACE, PORTUGAL GLOBAL