You can watch Solar Orbiter launch on an Atlas V 411 rocket on NASA TV:How long will Solar Orbiter take to reach the sun? Solar Orbiter will actually be in an orbital resonance with Venus, so will use the planet routinely to alter its trajectory. Its first close solar pass will take place in early 2022 at around a third of Earth’s distance from the Sun. Solar Orbiter will help scientists understand how the sun works because solar astronomy is our prime defence against a raging solar storm, which could be disastrous. Solar Orbiter is just the latest addition to the Heliophysics System Observatory (HSO), a fleet of satellites performing heliophysics science investigations.

Source: Forbes February 07, 2020 03:00 UTC