NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has successfully completed the closest-ever approach to the Sun by any human-made object, passing just 3.8 million miles (6.1 million km) from the solar surface on December 24. The spacecraft ventured into the Sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the corona, as part of its mission to study Earth’s closest star.
The probe’s operations team at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory confirmed that the spacecraft was safe and operating normally after the approach, receiving a signal just before midnight on Thursday. Detailed telemetry data is expected to be sent on January 1, providing further insights into the probe’s status.
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Traveling at speeds of up to 430,000 mph (692,000 kph), the Parker Solar Probe withstood extreme temperatures of up to 1,800°F (982°C) during its close flyby. This mission will provide scientists with vital information on the Sun’s heating processes, the origins of solar wind, and the acceleration of energetic particles to near light speed.
Launched in 2018, the Parker Solar Probe has been gradually moving closer to the Sun through flybys of Venus, tightening its orbit to gather crucial data for solar research.
