Parker solar probe sun

The Parker Solar Probe is the fastest spacecraft ever built, designed to study the solar corona at record-breaking distances.

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The Parker Solar Probe, launched by NASA in 2018, is the first mission to 'touch' the Sun. Its trajectory brings it within only 6.2 million kilometers of the solar surface, where temperatures exceed 1,400 degrees Celsius. To survive, the probe uses a carbon-composite heat shield 11.4 cm thick, keeping instruments at 30 degrees Celsius while the exterior faces extreme heat.

The probe has broken speed records, reaching over 600,000 km/h during its closest approaches. Its main goal is to study the solar wind and magnetic fields that originate solar storms. Scientists hope to understand why the solar corona is millions of degrees hotter than the Sun's surface, a puzzle that has persisted for decades.

Named after astrophysicist Eugene Parker, who predicted the solar wind in the 1950s, the mission has already provided data on energetic particles and interplanetary dust, helping improve space weather forecasts that affect satellites and power grids on Earth. The probe will continue its orbits until 2025, getting ever closer to the Sun.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the top speed reached by the Parker Solar Probe?

The Parker Solar Probe has reached speeds over 600,000 km/h, making it the fastest object ever built by humans.

How does the probe withstand the Sun's high temperatures?

It uses a carbon-composite heat shield 11.4 cm thick, which reflects most of the heat and keeps instruments at about 30 degrees Celsius.

What is the main scientific goal of the mission?

To study the solar corona and solar wind, understand why the corona is hotter than the Sun's surface, and improve space weather predictions.