4π Heliospheric Observing System (4π-HeliOS) Exploring the Heliosphere from the Solar Interior to the Solar Wind

The 4π Heliospheric Observing System (4π–HeliOS) is an innovative mission concept study for the next Solar and Space Physics Decadal Survey to fill long-standing knowledge gaps in Heliophysics. A constellation of spacecraft willprovide both remote sensing and in situ observations of the Sun and heliosphere from a full 4π-steradian field of view.The concept implements a holistic observational philosophy that extends from the Sun’s interior, to the photosphere, through the corona, and into the solar wind simultaneously with multiple spacecraft at multiple vantage points optimized for continual global coverage over much of a solar cycle. The mission constellation includes two spacecraft in the ecliptic and two flying as high as ~70° solar latitude. 4π-HeliOS will provide new insights into the fundamental processes that shape the whole heliosphere. The overarching goals of the 4π-HeliOS concept are to understand the global structure and dynamics of the Sun’s interior, the generation of solar magnetic fields, the origin of the solar cycle, the causes of solar activity, and the structure and dynamics of the corona as it creates the heliosphere. The mission design study is underway at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory Concurrent Engineering Laboratory (ACE Lab), a premier mission design center, fostering rapid and collaborative mission design evolutions.