(a): Orbit trajectories of Solar Orbiter (2020.02.28–2022.08.31) in the Stonyhurst heliographic coordinate system with the Earth fixed at 1 au as the blue dot. The color scale of the twisted trajectories represents the order of time since its launch. The first four orbits and 34 Solar Orbiter-perspective Carrington rotations are included in this figure. The dashed orange line represents a circle of 0.95 au radial distance. (b): Time variation of Solar Orbiter’s radial distance, Carrington longitude, and heliographic latitude, together with its relative distance (d_r) and longitudinal (d_lon) separation from Earth, shown from top to bottom. Orange segments over the blue line in the top panel indicate periods when the radial distance of Solar Orbiter exceeded 0.95 au and likewise for the grey and orange bars at the bottom of the figure.