Solar Orbiter: Recent science highlights and mission status

This contribution will summarise recent science highlights of the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter mission and provide a mission status update. Solar Orbiter started its nominal mission phase in December 2021, with perihelia around 0.29 au occurring every six months. The ten instruments onboard provide high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy of the Sun and corona, as well as detailed in-situ measurements of the surrounding heliosphere. Together, these observations enable us to comprehensively study the Sun in unprecedented detail and determine the linkage between observed solar wind streams and their source regions on the Sun. Solar Orbiter’s science return is significantly enhanced by coordinated observations with other space missions, including Parker Solar Probe, SDO, SOHO, STEREO, Hinode and IRIS, as well as new ground-based telescopes like DKIST. Starting in 2025, Solar Orbiter’s highly elliptical orbit will get progressively more inclined to the ecliptic plane, which will enable the first detailed observations of the Sun’s unexplored polar regions.