In the Orbital Mechanics app, the SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) mission simulates a launch from Earth to the Sun-Earth L1 Lagrange point, building on Restricted 3-Body dynamics and real solar observation history.

Key achievements: Revolutionized helioseismology (revealing Sun’s internal plasma flows and faster-rotating core), traced solar wind origins, advanced space weather forecasting, and unexpectedly discovered over 5,200 comets (most by any observatory, many via citizen scientists).

Survived near-loss in 1998; still operational as of late 2025, spanning three solar cycles and inspiring successors like Solar Orbiter.

References:

• Staring at the Sun: Thirty Years of SOHO | Museum of Science