NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is on a daring mission, diving into the Sun’s outer atmosphere—its corona—for a record-breaking close approach. This spacecraft is braving scorching temperatures and intense radiation, going closer to the Sun than any mission in history.
For now, communication with the probe is out. Scientists anxiously await a signal, expected on December 27, to confirm if it has survived this fly-by.
Why is Risk Flying Into the Sun?
Dr Nicola Fox, head of science at NASA, puts it best: “For centuries, people have studied the Sun, but you don’t experience the atmosphere of a place until you actually go visit it. And so we can’t really experience the atmosphere of our star unless we fly through it.”
The Sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona, is millions of degrees hotter than its surface—something scientists have long struggled to understand. By flying through this mysterious layer, the Parker Solar Probe could finally help explain why the corona is so blisteringly hot.
Read more: NASA Images Show Toxic Black Smog Visible from Space
What Makes This Mission Special?
Launched in 2018, the Parker Solar Probe has already flown past the Sun 21 times, gradually getting closer. But its latest approach on Christmas Eve is groundbreaking. At just 3.8 million miles (6.2 million km) from the Sun, it’s like standing only four centimetres away from a blazing fire if Earth and the Sun were one meter apart.
To endure this extreme environment, the spacecraft is shielded by a carbon-composite layer 4.5 inches (11.5 cm) thick. Even so, it faces temperatures of 1,400°C and will travel at an incredible speed of 430,000 mph. That’s like flying from London to New York in less than 30 seconds!
Why Does This Matter to Us?
The mission isn’t just about solving mysteries—it could have real benefits for life on Earth. By studying solar wind (streams of charged particles from the Sun), scientists hope to better understand “space weather.” This phenomenon can create stunning auroras, but it also has a darker side. It can disrupt power grids, electronics, and communication systems.
Dr. Jenifer Millard, an astronomer at Fifth Star Labs, explains: “Understanding the Sun, its activity, space weather, the solar wind, is so important to our everyday lives on Earth.”
A Nerve-Wracking Christmas for NASA
While the Parker Solar Probe races through the Sun’s corona, NASA scientists are on edge. They’ve done everything to prepare the spacecraft for these brutal conditions, but now they can only wait. Dr Nicola Fox shares that as soon as the probe sends a signal, her team will text her a green heart emoji to confirm its survival.
“I will worry about the spacecraft,” she admits. “But we really have designed it to withstand all of these brutal, brutal conditions. It’s a tough, tough little spacecraft.”
As the Parker Solar Probe inches closer to unlocking the Sun’s secrets, the world waits to hear if it has triumphed over this daring mission. If successful, it could change how we understand and live with our closest star.
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