• Question: what inventions have you made?

    Asked by kiwiAmelia to Helen on 13 Mar 2018.
    • Photo: Helen O'Brien

      Helen O'Brien answered on 13 Mar 2018:

      I have been working on the magnetometer (magnetic field measuring instrument) for Solar Orbiter for over 10 years now. It is due to launch in 2020. The first magnetometers I worked on were for a mission called Double Star which had 2 satellites, launched in 2003 and 2004. They were in Earth orbit, studying the Earths magnetic field and how it interacts with the magnetic field from the sun carried by the Solar Wind (which streams off the sun all the time).
      I have also worked on the magnetometer for Bepi Colombo (which is an ESA mission which will study the planet Mercury) and is due to launch later this year.

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