After about 40 years of solar wind and heliospheric space research questions about the structure and the origin of the solar wind still await an answer. We still don’t understand how the corona is heated and how the solar wind is accelerated, what are the sources for the fast and slow wind. Recent findings seem to indicate that the magnetic patterns below the sun’s surface and the coronal structure are intimately connected, but quantitative connections are difficult to make. Modeling shows that the strength of the solar wind and coronal mass ejections controls the spatial and temporal response of the heliospheric boundary, while the physical state of the surrounding interstellar medium sets the boundary conditions. With a fleet of solar and heliospheric spacecraft throughout the heliosphere we have a unique situation that enables us to make substantial progress, and “Living with a Star” will add a comprehensive 3D view of the inner heliosphere. However, the fundamental questions cannot be solved without in‐situ sampling to within a few solar radii, and the heliospheric boundary will not be fully understood without crossing it. © 2003 American Institute of Physics