Solar and Heliospheric Observatory

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The Solar & Heliospheric Observatory project is a joint venture between the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA. This ambitious endeavor was designed to delve into the internal workings of the Sun, its expansive outer atmosphere, and the origin of the solar wind - a relentless stream of highly ionized gas that continuously flows outward through our Solar System. Launched on December 2, 1995, the SOHO spacecraft was constructed in Europe by an industry team led by Matra, with European and American scientists contributing state-of-the-art instruments. NASA took charge of launching the spacecraft and now oversees mission operations. To track the spacecraft beyond Earth's orbit, NASA relies on a network of large radio dishes located around the world as part of its Deep Space Network. Mission control is based at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. Initially planned to operate until 1998, SOHO's overwhelming success prompted ESA and NASA to extend its lifespan multiple times, endorsing several mission extensions.