BackForward Satellite Programme: Solar and Heliospheric Observatory 

Programme details
Programme description
  • Single satellite programme, for solar-terrestrial interaction studies.
  • ESA programme with NASA contribution (launch and spacecraft operation).
  • The platform is actively stabilised over 3 axes.
  • The design life time of the satellite is 3 years.
  • The satellite is placed at the L1 Lagrange libration point (1,500,000 km from the Earth surface in the Sun direction).
  • See detailed description at http://sohowww.estec.esa.nl.
Data circulation
  • Real-time data downlinked to a network of stations coordinated by NASA/GSFC.
  • Data service provided by NASA/GSFC and ESA/ESAC (European Space Astronomy Centre), located at Villanueva de la Cañada, close to Madrid.
Agencies ESA , NASA
Programme lifetime 1995 - 2025
Associated satellites and instruments

Note: red tag => no longer operational , green tag => operational , blue tag => planned