Helios 2 (satellite)

Helios 2 was a West German solar probe launched on January 15, 1976, from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It was the second of two Helios probes, a joint project between NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR). Helios 2, like its predecessor Helios 1, was designed to study interplanetary space and solar processes at very close proximity to the Sun.

The primary mission objective was to examine the properties of the solar wind, magnetic fields, cosmic rays, and interplanetary dust in the inner heliosphere. Helios 2 ventured closer to the Sun than any previous spacecraft, reaching a perihelion of approximately 0.29 astronomical units (AU), or roughly 43.4 million kilometers (27 million miles). This close approach subjected the spacecraft to intense heat and radiation, necessitating robust thermal shielding and design.

Scientific instruments onboard Helios 2 included magnetometers, plasma detectors, cosmic ray detectors, and micrometeoroid analyzers. The data collected provided valuable insights into the structure and dynamics of the inner heliosphere, particularly the behavior of the solar wind close to its source and the characteristics of interplanetary dust.

Helios 2 continued to transmit data until 1980. Although no longer operational, the data gathered by Helios 2, in conjunction with data from Helios 1, remains a significant contribution to our understanding of the Sun and its influence on the solar system. The mission provided crucial information for developing models of the solar wind and understanding the distribution and properties of interplanetary dust.