Many space missions are aimed outwards, away from the center of our solar system into the deep unknown. Fewer are aimed inwards, because what else is there to explore? The Sun is a fiery ball of extraordinary mass that we likely have no hope of making contact with soon, but how close can we get? The Parker Solar Probe (PSP) is on a mission to “touch” the Sun. In reality, it will be just 3.9 million miles away at its closest. In comparison, Earth is 93 million miles away from the Sun.
To withstand the immense heat, the PSP is fitted with a 4.5 inch thick carbon-composite shield that can withstand temperatures of up to 1377 degrees Celsius. Since launching in August of 2018, the PSP has reached the corona of the Sun, where it has begun to sample particles and magnetic fields.
The spacecraft works in tandem with other orbiters such as BepiColombo and STEREO-A to understand the evolution of solar wind as it travels through space. It recently completed its fifteenth close approach to the Sun. It is hoped that the PSP can help us better understand solar weather, which has adverse effects on satellites and electronics, and also why the corona is substantially hotter than the photosphere.
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