NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has made its closest approach to the sun, passing just 6 million kilometers above the surface in a historic moment for humanity. The spacecraft, which was launched in August 2018, broke records with its highly elliptical orbit and reached speeds of up to 692,000 km/h.
The probe’s closest approach was confirmed on December 24th, 2024, when it sent back a beacon signal confirming that it had navigated safely through the sun’s corona. This achievement marks the first time a human-made object has come within 0.04 times the distance between the Earth and the sun.
The Parker Solar Probe is designed to study the sun’s outer corona, a region that was previously inaccessible due to its extreme temperatures and radiation levels. The spacecraft relies on a carbon foam shield to withstand temperatures of up to 1425°C, allowing it to collect data on the sun’s magnetic field and solar wind.
This historic mission is expected to provide significant insights into the origins and evolution of solar activity, as well as its impact on space weather and technology used daily on Earth. The probe’s findings will aid in our search for habitable worlds beyond our home planet.
The spacecraft has made several notable discoveries since its launch, including the discovery of spike-like structures in the sun’s corona and the origin of switchback patterns in the solar wind. Future passes by the sun are planned for March 2025 and June 2025, with the mission team eagerly awaiting transmission of new data from the spacecraft.
The Parker Solar Probe is a testament to human ingenuity and space exploration capabilities, pushing the boundaries of what was thought possible just a few decades ago. As the mission continues, it will unlock the sun’s deepest mysteries and reveal new secrets about our solar system.
Source: https://www.sciencealert.com/nasa-confirms-parker-probe-survives-touching-sun-in-record-breaking-flyby