NASA announced that its Parker Solar Probe is “safe” and functioning normally after completing the closest approach to the Sun ever achieved by a human-made object. On December 24, the probe flew just 3.8 million miles (6.1 million kilometers) from the Sun’s surface, venturing into its outer atmosphere, known as the corona.
The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland received a beacon tone from the spacecraft late Thursday, confirming its status. NASA expects the probe to transmit detailed telemetry data about the mission on January 1.
Traveling at speeds of up to 430,000 mph (692,000 kph), the Parker Solar Probe endured intense conditions, including temperatures reaching 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit (982 degrees Celsius). These extreme conditions are necessary to gather critical data about the Sun’s behavior.
“This close-up study allows the Parker Solar Probe to measure how material in the corona is heated to millions of degrees, trace the origin of the solar wind, and understand how energetic particles are accelerated to near light speed,” NASA explained.
Launched in 2018, the Parker Solar Probe uses gravity-assist flybys of Venus to tighten its orbit around the Sun. This mission aims to provide groundbreaking insights into the mechanisms powering the Sun, enhancing our understanding of solar phenomena and their effects on Earth.
