NASA’s Parker Solar Probe sets record for getting dangerously close to Sun

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has etched its name in the annals of space exploration by becoming the first human-made object to venture dangerously close to the Sun. Launched in 2018, the probe’s mission is to unravel the mysteries of the Sun. It has already completed 21 close approaches to the Sun, with the 21st close approach made on September 30.

The probe’s mission is to take measurements that will help scientists better understand how material in the Sun’s region gets heated to millions of degrees, trace the origin of the solar wind, and discover how energetic particles are accelerated to near light speed. The close passes have enabled scientists to identify the origins of structures in the solar wind and map the outer boundary of the Sun’s atmosphere.

On December 24, the spacecraft made its closest approach to the Sun, passing just 3.8 million miles from the solar surface. This was the closest solar flyby in history. During this approach, the spacecraft was not in contact with mission operations on Earth and was moving at about 430,000 miles per hour.

After the close flyby, the spacecraft transmitted a beacon tone to confirm its health. Parker Solar Probe has phoned home! After passing just 3.8 million miles from the solar surface on Dec. 24 — the closest solar flyby in history — we have receivedParker Solar Probe’s beacon tone confirming the spacecraft is safe, NASA announced on a social media platform.

Michael Buckley, part of the mission operations team at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland, confirmed that the spacecraft is in good health and operating normally. The signal was received just before midnight EST, on the night of December 26. The spacecraft is expected to send back detailed telemetry data on its status on January 1.

The Parker Solar Probe’s mission is not just a scientific endeavor but also a technological marvel. The spacecraft has to withstand extreme temperatures and conditions as it approaches the Sun. It is kept safe by the Thermal Protection System, an 8ft heat shield that weighs around 160lbs. This shield doesn’t engulf the vehicle but is mounted on one side and has to stay between the vehicle and the Sun at all times for the spacecraft to work.

The Parker Solar Probe’s mission is a significant step in understanding our Sun and its effects on our solar system. The Sun is the largest object in our solar system, and its gravity holds the solar system together. Everything in our solar system revolves around it – the planets, asteroids, comets, and tiny bits of space debris.

The Sun’s atmosphere extends more than 8.3 million kilometers into space and is much hotter than the Sun’s visible surface, known as the photosphere. Scientists are still trying to understand how its magnetic field is generated, deep within its interior, and what drives the solar cycles of activity.

The Parker Solar Probe’s missionis also crucial for understanding and predicting space weather. Material from coronal mass ejections usually takes several hours or days to traverse the distance between the sun and Earth. Once they reach Earth, CMEs can interfere with satellites, ground communications, and power networks. They can cause sweeping blackouts, and they can shower airplanes and spacecraft with dangerous radiation.

The Parker Solar Probe’s mission is a testament to human ingenuity and our quest to understand the universe. As the probe continues its mission, it will undoubtedly bring more exciting discoveries and insights about our Sun and its effects on our solar system. This historic journey of the Parker Solar Probe is not just a milestone in space exploration but also a beacon of human achievement in our quest to understand the universe.