NASA's mission status updates and reports

NASA's Parker Probe Survives Record Close Approach to Sun at 430,000 mph

Dec 27, 2024, 03:51 PM

NASA's Parker Solar Probe has successfully completed the closest-ever approach to the Sun by a human-made object, coming within 6.1 million kilometers (3.8 million miles) of the solar surface on December 24. The probe, the fastest spacecraft ever built, reached speeds up to 430,000 mph and survived temperatures nearing 1,000°C, enduring intense heat and radiation during its perihelion. NASA confirmed that the probe sent a signal back to Earth indicating it is safe and operating normally, with detailed data expected to be downlinked on January 1. The mission aims to study the Sun's outer atmosphere, or corona, by flying through it to better understand solar wind and space weather phenomena.