ESA’s Solar Orbiter spacecraft has sent back its first images of the Sun. At 77 million kilometres from the surface, this is the closest a camera has ever flown to our nearest star. The pictures reveal features on the Sun’s exterior that have never been seen in detail before.

Launched on 10 February 2020, the spacecraft completed its commissioning phase and first close-approach to the Sun in mid-June. Since then, science teams have been processing and examining this early data.

The spacecraft is currently in its cruise phase, on its way to Venus, but will eventually get even closer to the Sun.

The Solar Orbiter mission is an international collaboration between ESA and NASA.

A-roll contains new video processed from Solar Orbiter images. It also contains new (HD) interviews with Daniel Müller, ESA Solar Project Scientist, and ESA Instrument Operations Scientist Anik De Groof.

B-roll contains additional video and interview material, including soundbites in German and Dutch.