NASA has confirmed the Parker Solar Probe is safe and operational after its Christmas Eve close encounter with the Sun. The probe, launched in 2018, flew within 3.8 million miles of the Sun’s surface on December 24, 2024. Its trajectory shift brought it closer to the Sun than any human-made object, making it the fastest ever built at a speed of 430,000 mph.
The probe used a foam carbon shield to withstand temperatures over 1 million °F, allowing it to survive the extreme solar corona. NASA engineers confirmed that the spacecraft systems are online after sending back telemetry on January 1, 2024. The probe’s mission will continue with four more close encounters this year before its propellant runs out, at which point it will self-destruct.
Source: https://newatlas.com/space/parker-solar-probe-survives-closest-ever-encounter-sun