Solar Orbiter

Heliospheric in-situ instruments
Solar Wind Analyser (SWA): To measure solar wind properties and composition
Energetic Particle Detector (EPD): To measure suprathermal ions, electrons, neutral atoms, as well as energetic particles in the energy range from few keV/nuc to relativistic electrons and ions up to 100 MeV (protons) and 200 MeV/nuc (heavy ions)
Magnetometer (MAG): will provide detailed measurements of the magnetic field
Radio and Plasma Wave analyser (RPW): To measure magnetic and electric fields at high time resolution
Solar remote-sensing instruments
Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager (PHI): To provide high-resolution and full-disk measurements of the photospheric magnetic field
EUV full-Sun and high-resolution Imager (EUI): To image various layers of the solar atmosphere
EUV spectral Imager (SPICE): To provide spactral imaging of solar disk and corona, characterize plasma properties at the Sun
X-ray spectrometer/telescope (STIX): To provide imaging spectroscopy of thermal and non-thermal solar X-ray emission from 4 to 150 keV
Coronagraph (METIS): To provide simultaneous UV (121.6 nm), and polarized visible light imaging of the corona
Heliospheric Imager (SoloHI): To image quasi-steady and transient flows of the solar wind

Solar Orbiter will be used to examine how the Sun creates and controls the heliosphere, the vast bubble of charged particles blown by the solar wind into the interstellar medium. The spacecraft will combine in situ and remote sensing observations to gain new information about the solar wind, the heliospheric magnetic field, solar energetic particles, transient interplanetary disturbances and the Sun's magnetic field.
Scheduled for launch in January 2017, the mission will provide close-up, high-latitude observations of the Sun. Solar Orbiter will have a highly elliptic orbit – between 0.9AU at aphelion and 0.28AU at perihelion. It will reach its operational orbit three-and-a-half years after launch by using gravity assist manoeuvres (GAMs) at Earth and Venus. Subsequent GAMs at Venus will increase its inclination to the solar equator over time, reaching up to 25° at the end of the nominal mission (approximately 7 years after launch) and up to 34° in the extended mission phase.
Solar Orbiter is an ESA-led mission with strong NASA participation. There will be ten instruments on board, eight of which will be provided by Principal Investigators through national funding by ESA Member States. A European-led consortium supported by national funding and ESA contributions will provide one complete instrument, whilst the remaining instrument and an additional sensor will be provided by NASA. The launch from Cape Canaveral will be aboard a NASA-provided launch vehicle.
Researchers will also have the chance to co-ordinate observations with NASA's planned Solar Probe Plus mission which will make in situ measurements in the Sun's extended corona (down to approximately 9.5 solar radii).