Solar Probe Alpha is one of two specially designed probes that are both used in Mission 12 to study SOL, the other one being Solar Probe Beta. Alpha is discernable from Beta by its blue rocket engine housing; Beta's rocket engine housing is red. A further but more subtle difference is the solar panels which have slightly different shades between the two.
Both probes must be simultaneously managed during space flight due to time constraints to successfully complete this mission.
Both Solar Probe Alpha and Solar Probe Beta are medium-sized payloads, and do not actually have a function in the game, much like a Communications Satellite.
Trivia[]
- The mission briefing describes the probes as having special shielding to protect the probes's sensors from the intense heat of SOL, but if they are maneuvered too close to SOL they will still be destroyed.
- The Solar Probes are based on real life's Parker Solar Probes which appears to looks strikingly similar except for the golden heat shield which is actually a Reinforced Carbon–Carbon shield coated in a silver layer made of Alumina (Aluminium oxide), the solar panels which is a truss structure covered in radiator panels instead (which the solar panels would be deployed outwards like the Hubble Telescope), and the engine which would've been non-existent as the probe only needed a small solid-fueled third stage to propel itself into Solar orbit and utilizes Venus' gravity assists to slowly decrease its perihelion over time to study closer to the Sun.