SOHO's Long Journey Nears Its End After Extended Mission

The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), a joint mission by ESA and NASA, is nearing the end of its operational life as it approaches its 30th anniversary. Originally launched in 1995 for a two-year mission to study the Sun, SOHO has exceeded expectations, continuing to provide valuable solar data and even discovering comets. Despite overcoming numerous technical challenges, the mission's future is uncertain due to funding constraints, with NOAA's upcoming SWFO-L1 mission set to replace its role in 2025. SOHO's mission is expected to transition to a post-operations phase by 2026.