SOHO, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory is a joint European Space Agency (ESA) and National Aeronautics and Space Adminstration (NASA) mission to study the Sun like never before. With twelve very special Sun watching instruments, SOHO is unique.

• to study what the inside of the Sun (the solar interior) is like
• to study how the Sun's outer atmosphere (the corona) is heated
• to study the material flowing out from the Sun (the Solar Wind)

The spacecraft was put together in what are called ``clean rooms'' so that dust could not get into the instruments. In fact, each instrument has a special sealed door that can only be opened for very specific reasons.

In order to be launched into space, it was necessary to ship SOHO out to the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Late in July 1995, SOHO was loaded onto a large aeroplane for the flight to America. SOHO arrived at Kennedy just before a ferocious hurricane called Erin was due to sweep in across the American state. The spacecraft was put quickly into storage and the space centre was evacuated as Hurricane Erin struck!

Image copyright Unisys Weather.

A wrecked home after Hurricane Erin (Image copyright ECOCM).

When people returned to the centre after Erin had passed by there was much devastation. The large outer doors to the SOHO storage facility were badly damaged. However, SOHO was found inside without a scratch on it!

Go back to Solar Explorers page