BackForwardInstrument:  WISPR 

Instrument details
Acronym WISPR
Full name Wide-field Imager for Solar Probe
Purpose To make 3-D images of the sun's corona, or atmosphere
Short description Telescope that observes the solar wind and provides 3-D images of clouds and shocks as they approach and pass the spacecraft. VIS imaging fluxmeter
Background Consolidated technology
Scanning Technique Sun pointing from a solar orbit, also crossing the corona at perihelion and viewing the interplanetary space as the satellite moves along its orbit
Resolution Changing with the distance from the Sun. Around 150 km at perihelion
Coverage / Cycle Full solar disk at 10 s intervals
Mass Power Data Rate

 

Providing Agency NRL
Instrument Maturity Flown on an R&D satellite
Utilization Period: 2018 to 2025
Last update: 2024-01-22
Detailed characteristics
Satellites this instrument is flying on

Note: a red tag indicates satellites no longer operational, a green tag indicates operational satellites, a blue tag indicates future satellites

Instrument classification
  • Solar and space environment monitors
  • Solar activity monitor
WIGOS Subcomponents
  • Subcomponent 2
  • Solar magnetograph, solar EUV/X-ray imagery and EUV/X-ray irradiance, both on the Earth-Sun line and off the Earth-Sun line
  • Solar VIS spectrometer [from solar orbit, ecliptic, L5]
  • Solar VIS imager [from solar orbit, ecliptic, L5]
  • Solar coronagraph and heliospheric imagery both on the Earth-Sun line and off the Earth-Sun line (e.g. L5 point)
  • Solar coronographic imager [from solar orbit, ecliptic, L5]
  • Heliospheric imager [from solar orbit, ecliptic, L5]
Mission objectives
Primary mission objectives
  • Heliospheric image
  • Solar VIS flux
  • Solar VIS image
  • Solar coronagraphic image
Evaluation of Measurements

The following list indicates which measurements can typically be retrieved from this category of instrument. To see a full Gap Analysis by Variable, click on the respective variable.

Note: table can be sorted by clicking on the column headers
Note: * Primary mission objective.
VariableRelevance for measuring this variableOperational limitationsExplanation
Solar VIS flux*3 - highNo specific limitation.Wide dynamic range, corona view included
Solar VIS image*3 - highNo specific limitation.Fluxmetry with high spatial resolution, corona view included
Solar white light image3 - highNo specific limitation.Fluxmetry with high spatial resolution, good coverage of the VIS range, corona view included
Solar coronagraphic image*4 - fairNo specific limitation.VIS (400-700 nm)