Abstract
The physical conditions within our heliosphere are driven by the Sun's motion
through an evolving interstellar environment that remains largely unexplored.
The next generation of outer heliosphere and interstellar explorers will answer
fundamental questions about the heliosphere's relationship with the very local
interstellar medium (VLISM) by diving deeper into the Sun's interstellar
surroundings. The impact of these future missions will be vastly enhanced by
concurrent, interdisciplinary studies that examine the direct connections
between conditions within the heliosphere, the heliosphere's immediate
interstellar environment, and the larger-scale Galactic ISM. Comparisons of the
heliosphere and VLISM to their analogs across the Galaxy will constrain the
global processes shaping both stellar astrospheres and their sustained impact
on the ISM.