On This Day in Space! Dec. 2, 1995: NASA launches SOHO sun-watching satellite

On Dec. 2, 1995, NASA launched the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, also known as SOHO. This sun-monitoring satellite is a collaborative project between NASA and the European Space Agency that has been operational for more than 20 years.

SOHO's main objective was to investigate the physics behind how the sun works. It also provides useful data for predicting space weather events like solar flares and coronal mass ejections, which can cause problems for satellites and other infrastructure on Earth. SOHO is also a tool for discovering comets, something it wasn't even designed to do.

The satellite launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on an Atlas II rocket and took about four months to reach its destination at the L1 Lagrange point, an area in space where the gravity of the sun and the Earth balance each other out.

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4 Comments Comment from the forums

The Exoplanets Channel 13 December 2019 17:13

Very interesting
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Arc Light 17 July 2020 14:59

Just so you know, the X-15 took off from Edwards AFB under the wing of a B-52 & was airdropped over Delamar Dry Lake, Nevada. The flight to the altitude record wasn't planned, but the rocket engine burned for two seconds longer than expected. The test flight was scheduled to peak at 280,000', but actually reached 314, 750' due to the extra rocket burn time.
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Fourth Root 18 July 2020 00:34

Misleading wording. Bob White did not set the world altitude record on July 17th, 1962. Four Astronauts and two cosmonauts had flown higher prior to his flight. One could say it was the highest manned flight of a winged craft. But that's not the wording that was used.
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DrRaviSharma 20 July 2020 13:16

On this date in 1969, I was part of NASA Apollo Team

Contributed to Experiments in orbit and on Surface of Moon (ALSEP) etc.also trained astronauts

Studied containation on and ouside Spacecraft.

The Moon gave me employment to work for 5 Years on exciting Human Space flight Programs Skylab, Planning of Space Station and Space Shuttle

See My picture taken with Buzz Aldrin in 2009
https://www.space.com/india-moon-landing-not-a-failure.html
I received Apollo Achievement Award from NASA dated July 20, 1969.

Thanks Hanneke Weitering for today's Historic post

Ravi
Dr. Ravi Sharma
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