The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Solar Orbiter spacecraft is set to make its closest-ever approach to Venus today, 18 February 2025, with a flyby that will significantly ’tilt’ the spacecraft’s orbit and allow it to observe the Sun’s polar regions.
Launched in 2020, Solar Orbiter has been gradually shrinking its orbit to bring it closer to the Sun through gravity assists at Earth and Venus. The spacecraft is now within 379 km of Venus, a distance comparable to astronauts on the International Space Station orbiting Earth.
The flyby will enable Solar Orbiter to gather data on the Sun’s polar regions, improving our understanding of solar activity, space weather, and the Sun-Earth connection. By studying these regions, scientists hope to refine their knowledge of solar outbursts and erratic space weather that can impact technology on Earth.
Passing close to Venus poses challenges for the ESA team at the European Space Operations Centre in Germany. Precise calculations and course corrections are necessary to keep the spacecraft on track while avoiding the planet’s atmosphere. However, the team is well-prepared, having carried out a detailed simulation of the heating effect of the Venus gravity assist manoeuvre.
During the flyby, Solar Orbiter will not be able to point its cameras towards Venus or its cloud tops, but it will gather data from its Magnetometer and Radio and Plasma Waves sensors. These instruments will record the planet’s magnetic and plasma environment, contributing to ongoing research on how the solar wind affects planetary atmospheres.
This flyby marks an important milestone in ESA’s Solar Orbiter mission, which aims to provide insights into the Sun’s polar regions and their impact on our solar system. The spacecraft is part of a series of missions exploring Venus, including the upcoming Juice flyby in August, which will also pass near the planet just 194 days later.
Source: https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Operations/Solar_Orbiter_ready_for_close_encounter_with_Venus