Following its record-setting closest approach to the Sun, NASA's Parker Solar Probe has sent a signal back to Earth, confirming it is in good health and operating as expected.
The mission operations team at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland received the beacon just before midnight EST on December 26. The spacecraft had been out of communication during its closest approach on December 24, when it passed within 3.8 million miles of the Sun’s surface, traveling at a speed of approximately 430,000 miles per hour.
The spacecraft is expected to transmit detailed telemetry data on its status on January 1.
The Parker Solar Probe aims to unlock the mysteries of the Sun’s intense heat and solar wind by flying through its outer atmosphere, or corona, at an extraordinary speed of 692,300 km/h making the fastest human-made object in space.
This close-up observation allows the probe to gather data that will help scientists understand how material in the Sun’s atmosphere is heated to millions of degrees, trace the origin of the solar wind (the continuous flow of material escaping from the Sun), and determine how energetic particles are accelerated to nearly the speed of light. Previous close encounters have enabled scientists to identify the sources of solar wind structures and map the outer boundaries of the Sun’s atmosphere.
Developed as part of NASA's Living With a Star program, Parker Solar Probe is designed to study the Sun-Earth system and its effects on life and society.
Parker Solar Probe Mission and Achievements
Launched in 2018, the Parker Solar Probe has gradually been getting closer to the Sun, using Venus flybys to tighten its orbit and gain unparalleled access to the solar environment.
The mission's goals include investigating how solar material is heated to extreme temperatures and pinpointing the origins of solar wind. The probe also aims to understand the acceleration of particles to near light speed in this dynamic region.
Probe Design and Future Plans
The Parker Solar Probe is engineered to withstand extreme conditions. Its cutting-edge heat shield, made from carbon foam, protects the spacecraft's instruments and maintains near room-temperature conditions. The shield can endure temperatures of up to 1,377°C.
After the current flybys, mission planners will make decisions regarding the probe's trajectory and operations. This mission is poised to provide groundbreaking insights into solar behavior, significantly advancing our understanding of the Sun's phenomena.