Solar Orbiter: Mission Status, Science Highlights and Look-out for the High-Latitude Phase

This talk will report on the mission status and highlight recent science results of the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter mission. 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 ground-based telescopes like DKIST and SST. This talk with present examples of such collaborative efforts and outline future opportunities. Starting in February 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. I will summarise the observing plans for the first year of the high-latitude phase and describe opportunities for participation of the science community.