The European Space Agency's (ESA) Solar Orbiter spacecraft is just about ready to be sent into space. The joint NASA and ESA mission will launch the Solar Orbiter into space, encapsulated inside a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket. The Solar Orbiter will travel close to the Sun, where it will join NASA's Parker Solar Probe for tandem observations of the inner heliosphere, solar winds and solar eruptions that affect eldctrical grids and communications on Earth. Scientists hope that these observations will help them understand what controls solar wind, which could also help to predict solar storms more effectively. Check out the photos below of the Solar Orbiter being loaded into the United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, and stay tuned for news about the Solar Orbiter's launch.
This article first appeared on Spaceflight Now.
Want to see more science photos? Have a look at these incredible infrared photos from the Spitzer Space Telescope (RIP).
