NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has achieved a groundbreaking milestone by surviving the closest-ever approach to the Sun, coming within 3.8 million miles (6.1 million km) of its surface. The spacecraft, which endured scorching temperatures of up to 1,800°F (980°C) and extreme radiation, sent a signal back to NASA on December 28, confirming its safe and operational status. This record-breaking flyby on Christmas Eve marks the 22nd close approach for the probe, launched in 2018 to explore the mysteries of the Sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona.
The probe’s unprecedented journey aims to answer long-standing questions about the Sun, such as why the corona is millions of degrees hotter than the Sun’s surface and how solar winds originate and accelerate. Traveling at a record speed of 430,000 mph (692,000 kph), the spacecraft uses a 4.5-inch-thick carbon-composite shield for protection and collects vital data on the Sun’s magnetic and thermal properties. This information could shed light on solar activity and its impact on Earth, from dazzling auroras to disruptions in power grids and communication systems caused by solar wind.
Dr. Nicola Fox, NASA’s head of science, highlighted the importance of “touching” the Sun to understand its environment fully. Parker Solar Probe’s achievements have been likened to placing the Earth and Sun one meter apart, with the probe just 4 centimeters away. This historic mission not only deepens humanity’s understanding of our closest star but also underscores the spacecraft’s engineering resilience, described as “a tough, tough little spacecraft” by Dr. Fox.
