NASA’s Parker Solar Probe mission is about to embark on a historic journey
to our very own star -- the Sun.
Named for Doctor Eugene N. Parker
whose contributions have revolutionized our understanding of the Sun.
Parker Solar Probe will usher in a new era of exploration.
It’s a mission of extremes.
The spacecraft will plunge through the Sun’s atmosphere called the corona
and fly closer to the Sun’s surface than any spacecraft in history.
More than seven times closer.
The Sun’s surface is hot
at temperatures exceeding 10,000 Degrees Fahrenheit.
But the real surprise is, its atmosphere is even hotter – 300 times hotter.
Facing the corona’s brutal heat and radiation conditions,
Parker Solar Probe will finally provide answers to some of the most important questions
about how our Sun works.
As Parker Solar Probe speeds around the Sun making these measurements,
it’s moving at over 430,000 miles per hour.
That’s like traveling from New York to Tokyo in less than a minute.
This mission is the culmination of 60 years work by the best and brightest scientific and engineering minds.
Today our technology will let us achieve our dreams to reveal the secrets of the corona and our Sun.
And to one day help better protect technology from the threats of space weather.
In 2018, we will launch Parker Solar Probe --
humanity’s first mission to touch the Sun.