NASA’s Parker Solar Probe attempts the closest-ever approach to the Sun, setting speed and heat records
On December 24, 2024, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe began its historic mission to make the closest-ever approach to the Sun, braving extreme heat and radiation levels to gather groundbreaking data about the solar atmosphere. As part of its ongoing solar exploration, the spacecraft is set to reach unprecedented speeds and depths, surpassing all previous man-made records.
The Parker Solar Probe, launched in 2018, is designed to study the Sun’s corona, the outermost layer of the solar atmosphere, which is far hotter than the Sun’s surface. During this flyby, the spacecraft will endure temperatures exceeding 2,500°C (4,500°F) and radiation levels that are millions of times more intense than those encountered on Earth. Despite these conditions, the probe’s specially engineered heat shield will protect its instruments, allowing it to send back invaluable data.
As it edges closer to the Sun, the Parker Solar Probe is also flying faster than any human-made object ever has, reaching speeds of up to 430,000 miles per hour (700,000 km/h). This remarkable speed will enable it to gather unprecedented insights into the Sun’s behaviour and its impact on the solar system, including its role in space weather, which can affect Earth’s satellites, communications, and even power grids.
NASA’s mission aims to answer fundamental questions about the Sun, including how its corona is heated and how solar winds are accelerated. By studying these phenomena, scientists hope to better understand space weather and protect technology on Earth that is vulnerable to solar activity.
The Parker Solar Probe’s flyby is part of an ongoing series of orbits that will eventually bring it closer to the Sun with each pass, helping to unlock mysteries of the Sun’s behaviour and its influence on the solar system. The data collected will have far-reaching implications for astrophysics and solar science, laying the foundation for a new era of understanding about our star.
