The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 22 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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ESA’s Solar Orbiter mission will aim to solve many open questions in solar science:
-The Sun’s surface is about 5 500 °C but the upper atmosphere – corona – is one million degrees. What causes this mysterious heating?
-The solar wind is a stream of charged particles emitted from the Sun. The particles reach speeds of up to 800 km/s. What makes them so fast?
-The Sun’s magnetic field drives the 11-year cycle of solar activity, but what drives the Sun’s magnetic field? The Sun’s polar regions are key to understanding the magnetic field, but no one has ever seen them up close. Solar Orbiter will take the first images of this enigmatic region.
-How does the Sun’s magnetic field affect Earth?
Solar Orbiter will investigate how the Sun transmits its energy across space, helping us to better understand how our local star influences our home planet in terms of space weather.
Find out more about the Sun’s mysteries that Solar Orbiter will aim to solve