The Solar Orbiter is a Sun-observing satellite designed by the ESA. Over seven years, the Solar Orbiter will travel close to the sun, roughly 26 million miles away. At closest approach, the front of the heat shield will be near 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit! At the same time, the instruments tucked behind it will remain at a comfortable range, between – 4 F and 122 F above zero. The Solar Orbiter is like a lab in orbit, designed to study the Sun and its outbursts in great detail. Now meet the woman responsible for making the instruments on the orbiter stay safe.
Anne studied engineering at a specialist Engineering school in France. After this, she gained a Masters of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics. Anne is responsible for some of the scientific equipment onboard the Solar Orbiter. This requires her to combine all the knowledge she has to make sure the instruments onboard are safe and always in working condition. Meet Anne and hear more about her career below:
At the European Space Agency, Anne works between the scientific teams who built the instruments for the spacecraft and the project team. A typical day involves problem-solving and ensuring smooth development of the Solar Orbiter between the different partners.
Anne works at ESTEC. ESTEC develops and manages all types of space missions including:
• science
• exploration
• telecommunications
• human spaceflight
• satellite navigation
• Earth observation
Last updated June 2020.
