Hyderabad:NASA's Parker Solar Probe has made history as the space agency confirmed its safety following a record-breaking closest approach to the solar surface. After seven days of silence, Parker resumed communication with Earth, confirming its health. This occurred after the spacecraft flew just 3.8 million miles from the solar surface-- the closest a "human-made object" has ever been to a star.
In addition to being dangerously close to the surface of the Sun, the Parker Solar Probe also hurtled through the solar atmosphere at a blazing 430,000 miles per hour-- faster than any human-made object has ever moved.
"A beacon tone received late on Dec. 26 confirmed the spacecraft had made it through the encounter safely and is operating normally," NASA said in a press note. "This pass, the first of more to come at this distance, allows the spacecraft to conduct unrivaled scientific measurements with the potential to change our understanding of the Sun."
Parker Solar Probe and its mission
The Parker Solar Probe, launched in 2018, has utilised seven Venus flybys over the past six years to gradually position itself closer to the Sun. As of its last flyby on November 6, 2024, it reached its optimal oval-shaped orbit, allowing it to study the Sun’s processes every three months while avoiding excessive heat and radiation. This orbit will be maintained for the rest of its primary mission.
The spacecraft uses a carbon foam shield to protect itself from the intense heat of the Sun's corona, which can exceed 1 million degrees Fahrenheit. The shield is designed to withstand temperatures up to 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit while maintaining the instruments behind it at room temperature. The shield is expected to reach around 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit in the low-density corona.
The spacecraft’s record close distance of 3.8 million miles may sound far, but on cosmic scales it’s incredibly close. (NASA/APL) Nicky Fox, who leads the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, noted that flying this close to the Sun is a historic moment in humanity’s first mission to a star. She mentioned that by studying the Sun up close, we can better understand its impacts throughout our solar system, including the technology we use daily on Earth and in space.
Additionally, she highlighted that this research could provide insights into the workings of stars across the universe, aiding in the search for habitable worlds beyond our home planet. By flying through the solar corona, the Parker Solar Probe can take measurements that help scientists understand why the region gets so hot, trace the origin of the solar wind, and learn how energetic particles are accelerated to half the speed of light, NASA explained.
Previous passes have already enhanced scientists’ understanding of the Sun. In 2021, the spacecraft's first pass into the solar atmosphere revealed that the outer boundary of the corona has spikes and valleys, rather than being smooth. The Parker Solar Probe also identified the origin of zig-zag-shaped structures in the solar wind, called switchbacks, at the Sun’s visible surface, the photosphere. Since then, the spacecraft has spent more time in the corona, where most critical physical processes take place.
