Market
What new space missions will be inspired by Parker Solar Probe's December 24, 2024 mission?
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Resolution / Starting Odds
Follow-up solar probe mission • 25%
New missions to other stars • 25%
Increased funding for solar research • 25%
No new related missions • 25%
NASA mission announcements or official government space agency announcements
Story
NASA's Parker Solar Probe 'Touches' the Sun in Record 3.8 Million-Mile Flyby on Christmas Eve
Dec 23, 2024, 07:43 PM
NASA's Parker Solar Probe is set to make its closest-ever approach to the sun on December 24, 2024, passing within a record-setting 3.8 million miles (6.1 million kilometers) of the sun's surface at approximately 6:53 a.m. EST. Launched in 2018 to study the sun's corona and solar wind, the spacecraft will endure external temperatures exceeding 1 million°F (555,000°C) while its 4.5-inch (11.4 cm) heat shield keeps the internal instruments at a cool 85°F (29°C). Traveling at speeds up to 430,000 mph (700,000 km/h) or 191 km/s, it becomes the fastest human-made object in history. The probe will fly through the sun's outer atmosphere, or corona, providing unprecedented data to help scientists understand solar phenomena and their impact on space weather. This mission marks the first time a spacecraft has "touched" the sun, bringing humanity closer than ever to our nearest star.
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No impact on future missions • 25%
Inspires new missions • 25%
Alters existing mission plans • 25%
Leads to international collaborations • 25%
Confirmation of existing theories • 25%
Significant new insights into solar corona • 25%
Inconclusive data • 25%
Technical issues prevented data collection • 25%
Significant insights on corona temperature • 25%
No significant insights • 25%
Both significant insights • 25%
Significant insights on solar wind • 25%
Corona heating mechanisms • 25%
Solar wind behavior • 25%
Other • 25%
Magnetic field dynamics • 25%
No confirmation received • 25%
Successful approach and data collection • 25%
Unsuccessful approach • 25%
Successful approach, no data collected • 25%
Other phenomena • 25%
Solar wind • 25%
Solar corona • 25%
Magnetic fields • 25%
Confirms previous solar wind models • 25%
No significant new information • 25%
New insights on solar wind origins • 25%
Data not yet analyzed • 25%
Yes • 50%
No • 50%
New insights into solar wind dynamics • 25%
Discovery of unknown solar phenomena • 25%
Other significant scientific achievements • 25%
Enhanced understanding of corona temperatures • 25%
Communication blackout • 25%
Other technical challenges • 25%
Navigation or trajectory deviations • 25%
Heat shield performance issues • 25%