Solar Orbiter separation from launcher

Visualisation of the separation of Solar Orbiter from the Atlas V 411 upper stage, which takes place about 53 minutes after launch.

Solar Orbiter is an ESA mission with strong NASA participation. Its mission is to perform unprecedented close-up observations of the Sun and from high-latitudes, providing the first images of the uncharted polar regions of the Sun, and investigating the Sun-Earth connection. Launch is currently scheduled for 5 February 2020 from Cape Canaveral, Florida, US.