On February 7th 2020, the European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter will be launching from NASA’s Cape Canaveral. This mission will allow us to study the Sun in unprecedented detail.

This incredible mission is all the more exciting because of strong Irish connections. The special heat-deflecting material that coats the orbiter was developed by Enbio. CAPTEC, an Irish software company, has provided validation and verification for all critical on-board software. And from DIAS, Prof. Peter Gallagher is a Co-investigator for the STIX instrument and Dr. Shane Maloney also worked on software for the orbiter.

To celebrate these exciting Irish links, ESERO Ireland are offering two schools the opportunity to speak to Dr Niamh Shaw, Award Winning Science Communicator and aspiring space explorer, live from the European Space Operations Centre at Darmstadt. Niamh will video-chat directly into your classroom to explain these Irish connections and to answer your questions about the Solar Orbiter’s mission.

To be in with a chance to win a video interview with Niamh, simply email spaceweek@bco.ie with your school’s name, roll number, and the number of students in your class. We’ll select a primary school and a secondary school winner at random and get you set up for your interview.

Further details on the Solar Orbiter’s mission available here.