Programme
Solar Physics
Providing established, world-leading research in solar physics, with hardware, observational and scientific leadership over a wide range of key areas in the study of the Sun and solar activity. The underpinning experimental expertise of the group is solar spectroscopy of the Extreme Ultraviolet and X-ray wavelengths for the derivation of solar plasma diagnostics, from the Sun’s atmosphere on disk, in the corona and in explosive events such as flares.
Solar Orbiter's view of the Sun's south pole. Credit: ESA & NASA/Solar Orbiter/EUI Team, D. Berghmans (ROB)
Programme Aims
This programme aims provide a leading role in the development, operation and exploitation of space-based solar instruments as Principal Investigators.
Key objectives include:
- Leading the development of solar physics instruments and missions
- Supporting the provision of high-quality satellite spectroscopic measurements
- Collaborating with UK and international partners to exploit mission data for the analysis of processes in the Sun’s atmosphere
- Disseminating knowledge to the wider Solar physics and space science community through research publications and conferences.
Our work
We provide expertise across mission design, instrument development and scientific data exploitation to support heliophysics research and space‑weather services.
Solar Mission Instrument Delivery
Supporting the design, development and operation of instruments on international solar missions, working alongside technology development teams to deliver spectroscopy and imaging instruments.
Mission Operations and Data
Enabling the flow of data from mission to the scientific community, producing high-quality spectroscopy measurements of the Sun’s corona to support the wider solar physics community.
Scientific Research
Conducting studies focused on the fundamental processes in the solar atmosphere, researching into solar mass ejection processes, and flares and plasma diagnostic techniques.
PUNCH constellation of four satellites that will study how the Sun’s corona. Credit: Image Courtesy of Southwest Research Institute
Case Study Highlight
PUNCH
NASA’s PUNCH mission uses four coordinated satellites to map how the Sun’s outer atmosphere evolves into the solar wind. RAL Space designed and built the mission’s visible‑light camera systems and leads the in‑flight calibration, ensuring the satellites operate together as a single observatory for studying space‑weather processes. This work builds on RAL Space’s long heritage in solar‑wind imaging, including major contributions to NASA’s STEREO mission.
