Solar Orbiter closest to the Sun at 42 million kilometres away

When sending spacecraft to observe the sun, there is an inevitable trade-off between the quality of pictures taken from shorter distances and the damage that is inflicted on the spacecraft by light and heat. A bulk of the new Orbiter’s mass is a heat shield which protects it by directing heat to the sides and away from the spacecraft. The orbiter can not only sample the physical conditions of space around the Sun but also take direct pictures of its surface. Find out more here: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Solar_Orbiter/The_closest_camera_to_the_Sun