Launched in February 2020, Solar Orbiter is an ESA mission that will carry out in-situ measurements in the solar wind at distances never before reached, remote observations of the Sun with the best spatial resolution ever achieved, and the first imaging observations of the Sun's poles. The community is heavily involved in the RPW (PI), SPICE (PI), SWA (co-PI), EUI (co-PI), PHI (payload participation) and STIX (payload participation) instruments. The service includes the following activities:
- RPW: design, manufacture and delivery of the RPW instrument (LESIA), supply of magnetic sensors (LPC2E) and LFR receiver (LPP), operations during the operating phase and implementation of the processing chain.
- SWA: design, manufacture and calibration of the PAS instrument (IRAP), design and manufacture of the electronics and sensor for the EAS instrument (LPP), preparation and monitoring of operations for both instruments throughout the mission.
- EUI: responsibility for EUV optics, mirrors, substrates and multilayer coatings, filter wheels and FSI design, in-flight performance monitoring and data transfer to the MEDOC center (IAS)
- SPICE: development of an optical subsystem, instrument operations, development of the software required for instrument planning, implementation of the data processing chain (IAS)
- STIX: supply of CALISTE microdetectors and performance monitoring (AIM), development of value-added products from data (LESIA)