Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO-A)

Why in news?

• In a significant development, NASA's Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO-A) spacecraft has made its first Earth Flyby, nearly 17 years after its initial launch.
• During the Earth flyby, STEREO-A will collaborate with Nasa's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), enhancing its observations.
• This collaboration aims to optimize the spacecraft's stereo vision to capture varying-sized solar features at different distances.

About Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory:

• STEREO-A (A stands for Ahead), along with its twin STEREO-B (B stands for Behind), was launched in 2006 to study the Sun's Behavior by charting Earth-like orbits around it.
• Their primary goal was to provide a stereoscopic view of the Sun, enabling researchers to study it from multiple perspectives.
• In 2011, STEREO-A achieved a pivotal milestone by reaching a 180-degree separation in its orbit from STEREO-B. This spatial arrangement allowed humanity to observe the Sun as a complete sphere for the first time, offering crucial insights into its complex structure and activity.
• STEREO-B broke contact with mission control in 2014 after a planned reset (B's mission officially ended in 2018).

PRACTICE QUESTION

Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (o                STEREO), recently seen in news, is associated with:

(a) NASA

(b) ISRO

(c) European space Agenecy

(d) Roscosmos

Answer