Journey to the Inferno: A Spacecraft Prepares to Skim the Sun’s Atmosphere for the First Time

Hardly anyone discusses the Parker Solar Probe these days.

Certainly, the spacecraft garnered some interest during its launch. After all, it is the fastest-moving entity ever crafted by humans. At its peak velocity, boosted by the sun’s gravitational attraction, the probe attains a speed of 430,000 miles per hour, which represents over one-sixth of 1 percent of the light speed. Such incredible speed could transport you from New York City to Tokyo in under a minute.

Furthermore, the Parker Solar Probe holds the title of being the first NASA spacecraft named after a living individual. At the time of its launch in August 2018, physicist Eugene Parker was 91 years of age.

Yet, during the six years the probe has been darting through the cosmos and skimming the sun? Not quite prominent. The truth is, the astrophysical characteristics of the sun and its intricate configuration are not topics that most individuals ponder on a regular basis.

Nevertheless, the relatively small probe—it weighs less than a metric ton, and its scientific instruments are only around 110 pounds (50 kg)—is poised for its moment in the spotlight. Quite literally. On Christmas Eve, the Parker Solar Probe will execute its closest approach to the sun to date. It will come within a mere 3.8 million miles (6.1 million km) of the solar surface, penetrating the solar atmosphere for the first occasion.

Indeed, it is set to get exceedingly hot. Researchers estimate that the probe’s thermal shield will withstand temperatures exceeding 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,371 C) on Christmas Eve, which is essentially the exact opposite of the North Pole.

Directly to the Origin

I had a conversation with NASA’s head of science, Nicky Fox, to grasp the reason behind the probe facing such conditions. Prior to her position at NASA headquarters, Fox served as the project scientist for the Parker Solar Probe, and she articulated that researchers are eager to comprehend the origins of the solar wind.

This refers to the flow of charged particles that arise from the sun’s outer layer, the corona. According to Fox, this particular enigma has captivated the attention of scientists for more than fifty years.

“In simple terms, we aspire to discover the birthplace of the solar wind,” she remarked.

Back in the 1950s, long before we had satellites or spacecraft to measure the properties of the sun, Parker predicted the presence of the solar wind. The scientific community was largely doubtful of this notion—many even scorned Parker—until the Mariner 2 mission began measuring the solar wind in 1962.

As the scientific community started to accept Parker’s hypothesis, they became increasingly interested in learning more about the solar wind, which is a crucial component of the entire solar system. Although the solar wind remains invisible to the naked eye, witnessing an aurora on Earth signifies the solar wind’s interaction with Earth’s magnetosphere in a notably tumultuous manner.