Parker Solar Probe: Status and Outlook Halfway Through the Prime Mission

Launched on 12 Aug. 2018, NASA's Parker Solar Probe completed eight of its scheduled 24 orbits around the Sun. By December 2021, PSP would have completed ten orbits and flew as close as 13.3 solar radii from the Sun's center. The science data reveal an unprecedented view of the pristine solar wind, opening our eyes to numerous discoveries and phenomena that will change our understanding of the near solar environment and its effect on the heliosphere. Over the next two orbits, PSP is expected to fly through the sub-Alfvénic solar wind for the first time, which is an important milestone for the mission and might lead to more breakthrough discoveries. I will provide an overview of the mission's status and outlook halfway through the prime mission and summarize the major findings and their impact on our understanding of the Sun's near environment.