New discoveries about the sun are expected when the Solar Orbiter mission, a newly selected mission by the European Space Agency, is sent off to study the sun at a distance that has never been dared before.

According to Barbara Giles, NASA's director for Heliophysics Division in Washington, Solar Orbiter is an exciting mission as it will improve understanding of the sun and its environment.

The Solar Orbiter mission that will be launched in 2017, will use two science instruments that are being developed by NASA for this study. At approximately 21 million miles near the sun's surface, which is about 25 percent of the distance from the sun to the Earth, the spacecraft's ability to forecast space weather will be enhanced.

A study of space weather is important because it can cause disturbances in electromagnetic fields on Earth which in turn can induce extreme currents in wires, disrupt power lines and even cause blackouts. Other effects include interference of communications between ground controllers and satellites and airplane pilots, and disruption of cell phone services.

The NASA investigations for the Solar Orbiter are part of its Living with a Star Program that aims to develop scientific understanding necessary to address those aspects of the connected sun-Earth system that directly affects man and society.