NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Sets Record for Closest Approach to the Sun

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has made history by flying closer to the Sun than any other spacecraft. On Friday, NASA confirmed that the probe is "safe" and working well after this record-breaking mission. After getting close to the Sun, the probe sent a signal back to Earth to show it's healthy.

What is the Parker Solar Probe?

The Parker Solar Probe was launched in 2018 as part of NASA's Living With a Star program. This program helps scientists study the Sun and how it affects Earth. It is managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.

So far, the probe has passed the Sun 21 times, each time getting closer. On December 24, it flew just 3.8 million miles (6.1 million km) from the Sun’s surface and entered the Sun's outer atmosphere, called the corona. The spacecraft is about the size of a small car.

Nick Pinkine, the mission manager, said, “No human-made object has ever gotten this close to a star. The probe will bring back new data from places we have never seen before. We are excited to hear from it when it swings back around the Sun.”

The probe has to face extreme heat of 1,400°C and radiation that could damage its parts. It is also traveling at a super-fast speed of 430,000 mph, faster than any other spacecraft ever made.