Solar Monitoring Observatory

The Solar Monitoring Observatory (SOLAR / SMO) is an ESA science observatory that is part of the Columbus Laboratory, which is a planned component of the International Space Station. The launch of the Columbus module (including SOLAR) is planned for December 2007 aboard STS-122. SOLAR will be externally mounted to the Columbus Laboratory, together with the European Technology Exposure Facility (EuTEF). Some other components are also planned to be mounted externally on Columbus on future missions, including the Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES). SOLAR will consist of three space science instruments: SOVIM, SOLSPEC and SOL-ACES. Together they will provide detailed measurements of the Sun's spectral irradiance.^[1] Once installed on the ISS, Solar is planned to operate continuously for approximately 1.5 years. The mission was originally planned for a 2003 launch, but was delayed following the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. The SOVIM (Solar Variantions and Irradiance Monitor) instrument is based on an earlier instrument (SOVA) which flew aboard the European Retrievable Carrier, launched on STS-46 in 1992.^[2] It is designed to measure solar radiation with wavelengths from 200 nanometers - 100 micrometers. This covers near-ultraviolet, visible and infrared areas of the spectrum. SOLSPEC (Solar Spectral irradiance measurements) is designed to measure the solar spectral irradiance in the 165 - 3000 nanometer range with high spectral resolution. SOL-ACES (Auto-calibrating Extreme Ultraviolet and Ultraviolet spectrometers) consists of four grazing incidence grating spectrometers. They are designed to measure the EUV/UV spectral regime (17 nanometers - 220 nanometers) with moderate spectral resolution. ^[3]

References

1. ^ Solar Package on ISS. Belgian User Support and Operation Centre. Retrieved on 2007-09-21.
2. ^ Nicolas Manise (2000-08-22). SOVIM (Solar Variability and Irradiance Monitor). Belgian International Space Station User Support Center. Retrieved on 2007-09-21.
3. ^ Wienhold, F.G. et al. (2000-09-15). The solar package on ISS: SOL-ACES. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Part C: Solar, Terrestrial & Planetary Science, Volume 25, Issues 5-6, 2000, Pages 473-476. Retrieved on 2007-09-21.

• Sun Monitoring on the External Payload Facility of Columbus (Solar). NASA (2007-09-14). Retrieved on 2007-09-21.</ref>