LONDON (IT BOLTWISE) – ESA plans to usher in a new era of solar observation with the Vigil probe. From a previously unused Lagrange point, Vigil is intended to detect dangerous solar flares at an early stage, thereby significantly extending the advance warning time for space weather events. This mission could be crucial for the security of satellites and power grids on Earth.
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The European Space Agency (ESA) is planning a groundbreaking mission to observe the sun with the Vigil probe. This probe will operate from a previously unused Lagrange point to observe the Sun from a unique perspective. The L5 Lagrange point, about 150 million kilometers from Earth, allows Vigil to monitor the side of the Sun that will not turn toward Earth for a few days. This position provides a critical advantage for detecting early signs of solar flares that can affect space weather on Earth.
Vigil’s mission is designed to significantly extend the advance warning time for potentially dangerous solar storms. Current observations from Earth only provide a maximum warning time of three days. With Vigil, this period could be extended to four to five days, which could be crucial in preparing for potential impacts to satellites and power grids. The probe will be equipped with four measurement instruments that will analyze different layers of the Sun, including the photosphere, the inner and outer atmosphere, and the solar wind.
A central instrument on board Vigil is the Photospheric Magnetic Field Imager (PMI), which is being developed at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research. This instrument will measure the magnetic field strength and direction on the Sun’s surface. Changes in the magnetic field can indicate impending solar flares, and PMI will be able to detect such signs earlier than other instruments. This capability is critical to improving space weather forecasts and increasing safety on Earth.
The Vigil mission is part of a larger ESA program to promote space security, which also includes the Hera and Clearspace-1 missions. The data collected by Vigil will not only be used to predict solar storms, but will also be of great interest to scientific research. By combining data from different space probes, new insights into the dynamics of the Sun could be gained that were not previously possible. ESA plans to launch the probe in 2031 and preparations are in full swing to successfully realize this ambitious mission.
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