Solar Orbiter

SolO

Mission Profile

Solar Orbiter (SolO) is a joint ESA/NASA mission launched on 17 February 2020 aboard an Atlas V 411, designed to study the Sun at closer range than any previous solar observatory while also observing the solar poles for the first time. Using a series of Venus and Earth gravity assists, Solar Orbiter follows a highly inclined elliptical orbit that takes it as close as 42 million km to the Sun while tilting its orbit to observe the polar regions invisible from the ecliptic plane. Its ten instruments capture coordinated remote sensing and in-situ measurements of the solar atmosphere, wind, and magnetic field to understand how the Sun creates the heliosphere. Early results include the discovery of ubiquitous small-scale magnetic campfires and the first close-up images of the Sun's polar regions.