When Europe’s Solar Orbiter blasted off in February 2020, no one knew it’d become a symbol of hope during one of humanity’s toughest years. This sun-chasing satellite, designed to study our star’s polar regions 🔍, faced an unexpected obstacle: a pandemic that nearly derailed its mission.
Christopher Owen, a physics professor leading the Solar Wind Analyzer team, and Cesar Garcia, the ESA project manager, found themselves in a real-life sci-fi drama. As COVID-19 swept through Europe in March, their Darmstadt operations center became a ghost town 👻 after colleagues tested positive. Mission-critical work halted for 10 days – an eternity in space race terms.
But here’s the plot twist: The team invented new remote collaboration strategies 💡, proving that even solar exploration could adapt to lockdown life. When their spacecraft finally roared into orbit, it wasn’t just a win for science – it became 2020’s ultimate 'never give up' meme 🚀💪.
