The Parker Solar Probe is getting ready to feel the heat of the sun! This spacecraft, designed and built by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, will be the first ever to fly directly into the sun’s atmosphere.
The Parker Solar Probe was launched on a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Sunday, August 12, 2018 at 3:33 a.m. EDT (07:33 GMT).
The spacecraft is named after Eugene Parker, the scientist who first proposed the existence of the solar wind in 1958. The Parker Solar Probe will study the solar wind and the sun’s atmosphere up close like never before.
The spacecraft will make 24 close approaches to the sun over the next seven years, getting as close as 3.8 million miles (6.1 million Kilometres) to the sun’s surface. During these close encounters, the spacecraft will experience temperatures up to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit .
1. Introduction To Parker Solar Probe
In 2018, NASA launched a spacecraft to the sun that will travel closer to our star than any other mission in history. The Parker Solar Probe is named after Dr. Eugene Parker, who first predicted the existence of the solar wind in 1958.
During its seven-year mission, the Parker Solar Probe will make 24 close approaches to the sun, getting as close as 3.8 million miles (6.1 million kilometres) to the sun's surface. That's about seven times closer than any spacecraft has ever come to the sun!
The Parker Solar Probe will help us answer some of the biggest questions about the sun and the solar wind, including what drives the solar wind and what accelerates it to such high speeds. The spacecraft is also equipped with instruments to study the sun's magnetic field and its effects on the solar wind.
The Parker Solar Probe will be traveling faster than any human-made object has ever traveled when it reaches its closest point to the sun.
We have the ultimate challenge for you…
— NASA Sun & Space (@NASASun) September 8, 2022
We dare you to creatively tell the story of #ParkerSolarProbe’s record-breaking journey to the Sun and all the perils faced along the way, during the 2022 @nasa_spaceapps Challenge.
Will you accept the challenge? https://t.co/Mrppt1Ts4F pic.twitter.com/Cfb16ChfQL
2. The Heat Of The Sun Faced By The Spacecrafts
When it comes to exploring the solar system, one of the most important things to consider is the heat of the sun. The sun is incredibly hot, and its heat can cause all sorts of problems for spacecraft.
One of the biggest dangers is that the sun's heat can damage the electronics on a spacecraft. This can happen in a number of ways, but one of the most common is called single event upset. This is when a high-energy particle from the sun hits a piece of electronic equipment, causing it to malfunction.
It's not just the electronics that are at risk, though. The sun's heat can also damage the structure of a spacecraft. This is why many spacecraft are coated with a special material that helps to reflect the sun's heat away.
The sun's heat is a serious problem for spacecraft, but there are ways to protect against it. By understanding the dangers and taking precautions, we can make sure that our spacecraft can withstand the mission.
3. Parker Solar Probe's Mission
On August 12, 2018, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a mission to touch the sun. The spacecraft will make 24 close approaches to the sun over the next seven years, getting closer to the sun’s surface than any other man-made object in history.
The Parker Solar Probe is equipped with four instrument suites that will study the sun’s magnetic fields, plasma and energetic particles, and capture images of the sun’s atmosphere. The data collected by the spacecraft will help scientists better understand how the sun’s wind of charged particles affects the Earth and other planets.
The Parker Solar Probe is named after Eugene Parker, the University of Chicago astrophysicist who first described the solar wind in 1958. The spacecraft is the first NASA mission to be named after a living person.
The Parker Solar Probe will orbit the sun 24 times over the next seven years, getting closer to the sun’s surface than any other human made object.
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4. What The Parker Solar Probe Will Experience
On October 31, 2018, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe will launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a mission to get closer to the Sun than any other spacecraft in history. The Parker Solar Probe will travel directly into the Sun’s atmosphere, about four million miles from the Sun’s surface—seven times closer than any previous spacecraft.
The Parker Solar Probe is about the size of a small car and is designed to withstand the extreme conditions of the Sun’s atmosphere. The spacecraft’s heat shield will protect it from the Sun’s heat, which is more than 500 times hotter than boiling water on Earth.
The Parker Solar Probe’s journey to the Sun will take about seven years. The spacecraft will make 24 orbits of the Sun, each orbit taking it closer to the Sun’s surface. The Parker Solar Probe will reach its closest point to the Sun, about 3.8 million miles away from the yellow-dwarft .
5. Conclusion About The Mission Of Parker Solar Probe Mission
The Parker Solar Probe mission is one of the most important missions ever flown to study the Sun. It is the first mission to fly into the Sun’s corona, and will provide unprecedented information about the solar wind and the Sun’s magnetic field. The mission will also help us to better understand the effects of solar activity on Earth and other planets.