Solar-B

Following the successful Yohkoh satellite which is continuously operating since August 1991, the solar physics community in Japan is now preparing for a Japan's next solar physics mission, Solar-B, whose primary objective is to study the connection of the dynamics and heating in the solar corona with the magnetic field at the solar surface. Solar-B will carry a medium-sized optical telescope with capability of measuring vector magnetic fields at the solar surface, together with two X-ray/EUV imaging telescopes capable of measuring the dynamics and physical conditions of hot plasma in the solar corona. These telescopes are prepared under the international collaborations with U.S.A. (NASA) and U.K. (PPARC). ISAS schedules to launch Solar-B as its 22nd science satellite in summer 2005. The Solar-B program is now in the proto-model manifacture/test phase and the baseline design of the satellite as well as the three telescopes is defined.