SOLAR (ISS)

SOLAR
SOLAR heads into orbit on STS-122
The STS-122 crew included two ESA astronauts, Léopold Eyharts (fr) and Hans Schlegel (de)

SOLAR[1] was an ESA science observatory on the Columbus Laboratory, which is part of the International Space Station. SOLAR was launched with Columbus in February 2008 aboard STS-122. It was externally mounted to Columbus with the European Technology Exposure Facility (EuTEF). SOLAR has three main space science instruments: SOVIM, SOLSPEC and SOL-ACES.[2] Together they provide detailed measurements of the Sun's spectral irradiance.[3] The SOLAR platform and its instruments are controlled from the Belgian User Support and Operations Centre (B.USOC), located at the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BISA) in Uccle, Belgium.

  1. ^ SOLAR: three years observing and ready for solar maximum - ESA
  2. ^ Sun Monitoring on the External Payload Facility of Columbus (Solar)
  3. ^ "Solar Package on ISS". Belgian User Support and Operation Centre. Retrieved 2007-09-21.