Helios 1A is a solar observation satellite launched by NASA and Germany's Aerospace Center on December 10, 1974. It was part of the Helios program, designed to study solar phenomena and their effects on the Earth. The satellite orbited the Sun, providing valuable data on solar wind, magnetic fields, and solar radiation. The mission of Helios 1A lasted until 1985, during which it made significant contributions to our understanding of the Sun's behavior. It operated in a highly elliptical orbit, allowing it to get close to the Sun and gather detailed measurements that helped scientists better predict space weather events.