Only 380 kilometers. That's all the Solar Orbiter from Venus divided

Solar Orbiter is a European-American probe fired in 2020, which has been approaching the sun since then, in the meantime using gravitational Earth's assists and Venus. Now, according to the European Space Agency, during one of such maneuvers, the probe approached Venus to a record small distance, flying only 379 kilometers from the surface of the planet. According to ESA, this is a really short distance, because even our international space station circles the Earth, at an average of 408 km.

The flight is of great importance for the mission.

– Complexing so close to the planet allows us to use its gravity to significantly change the ship's orbit with minimal fuel consumption – said Julia Schwartz, an ESA flight dynamics expert. – Planets in our solar system circulate around the sun in the same plane. In this meeting with Venus, we use the planet's gravity to a significant “inclination” of the Solar Orbiter probe orbit in relation to this plane. Thanks to this, the vehicle will gain a much better view of the polar areas of the sun, which from the said plane are not visible – she added.

The sampler's orbit will also change the next flights provided for next year.

As agency experts emphasize, thanks to the unique orbit, the probe will help better understand solar activity and increase the ability of civilization to protect against dangerous phenomena of sunny weather.

The flight so close to the planet is a huge challenge for specialists behind the mission. The sampler was supposed to be maximally close to Venus, but not close enough to experience the strong resistance of the atmosphere. Even in the current trajectory, some of the probe elements suffered a strong, though intended heating associated with Venus thermal radiation. Unfortunately, the probe was not able to direct any research instruments towards the planet. This is because, together with the thermal shield, she had them all the time turned to the sun. Despite this radio waves. These instruments reacted with the environment around the planet interacting with the sun's wind.

ESA reminds that Solar Orbiter is not the only probe flying this year next to Venus. In August, the Juice probe heading towards Jupiter will fly nearby. In the next decade, in turn, the European mission Envision is to be launched strictly for the study of this planet. This is to be the first mission that will enable comprehensive Wenus test – from its inner nucleus to the upper layers of the atmosphere. In this way, it will help, among others, in determining how and why Venus and Earth, despite similar beginnings, have evolved in such a different way.