Presentation #313.16 in the session “Solar Physics Division (SPD): Instrumentation and Active Regions”.
Solaris is an exciting, innovative & bold mission of discovery to reveal the mysteries of the Sun’s poles. Solaris was selected for Phase A development as part of NASA’s MIDEX program. Solaris builds upon the legacy of Ulysses, which flew over the solar poles, but Solaris provides an entirely new feature⋯remote sensing, or IMAGING.
Solaris will be the first mission to image the poles of the Sun from ~75 degrees latitude and provide new insight into the workings of the solar dynamo and the solar cycle, which are at the foundation of our understanding of space weather and space climate. Solaris will also provide enabling observations for improved space weather research, modeling and prediction with time series of polar magnetograms and views of the ecliptic from above, providing a unique view of the corona, coronal dynamics, and CME eruption.
To reach the Sun’s poles, Solaris will first travel to Jupiter, and use Jupiter’s gravity to slingshot out of the ecliptic plane, and fly over the Sun’s poles at ~75 degrees latitude. Just as our understanding of Jupiter & Saturn were revolutionized by polar observations from Juno and Cassini, our understanding of the Sun will be revolutionized by Solaris.