How Solar Orbiter craft will survive mission to the Sun

An ambitious new mission will send a spacecraft closer to the Sun than ever before.

The Solar Orbiter will be launched in 2017 and will travel up to 26 million miles from the star to study its behaviour.

Here, using a scale model Dr Ralph Cordey, head of science at Astrium UK, which is building the satellite, explains how the craft will work.

Animation courtesy of Astrium UK