NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has successfully completed its journey through the Sun’s atmosphere, returning to Earth with valuable scientific data collected during its historic fly-by. The probe, which is the closest any spacecraft has ever come to our star, survived the intense heat and radiation of the solar corona.
Launched in 2018, the Parker Solar Probe was designed to withstand extreme temperatures and conditions on a journey that would take it progressively closer to the Sun. On December 24, its 22nd pass of the Sun, the probe flew within 6.1 million kilometers of the solar surface, experiencing temperatures around 980°C.
The spacecraft’s heat shield, which is made of carbon composite and carbon foam, has been designed to withstand even hotter conditions. Researchers have observed that the white protective coating on the heat shield appears to be getting whiter with each fly-by, indicating that it is becoming more effective at reflecting away the Sun’s heat.
The Parker Solar Probe is the only instrument capable of making observations in the region where the solar wind and corona are born. Scientists hope to learn more about these phenomena, including the origin of the solar wind and how the corona is heated to millions of degrees.
The data collected by the probe will be a significant breakthrough for solar physicists, who have been waiting six years for it. The information is expected to arrive on Earth in the coming weeks, marking a major milestone in our understanding of the Sun and its place in the universe.
Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00009-2