In August 2018, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe (PSP) embarked on an extensive mission to investigate the Sun’s outer corona. Following a series of gravity-assist maneuvers with Venus, the probe shattered the distance record previously held by Helios 2, thus becoming the nearest object to the Sun on October 29, 2018.

Since that time, the Parker Probe’s highly elliptical trajectory has facilitated multiple excursions through the solar corona, aptly described as ‘touching the Sun.’ On December 24, 2024, NASA announced that the probe achieved its closest proximity to the Sun, passing merely 6 million kilometers (3.8 million miles) above the solar surface—approximately 0.04 times the distance between the Earth and the Sun (0.04 AU).

In addition to surpassing its previous distance milestone, the PSP traversed the solar atmosphere at a phenomenal speed of about 692,000 kilometers per hour (430,000 miles per hour), making it the fastest man-made object to date—approximately 0.064% the speed of light.

Post-flyby, the spacecraft transmitted a beacon signal on December 26, confirming its safe passage and operational status. These close encounters enable the Parker Solar Probe to conduct scientific operations that enhance our understanding of solar wind origins and evolution.

Each gravitational assist with Venus over the past six years has progressively drawn the probe nearer to the Sun within its elliptical orbit. As of November 6, 2024, the spacecraft reached an optimal orbit, allowing it to study solar processes and space weather without risking damage from intense solar radiation.

To withstand the extreme temperatures of the corona, the Parker Probe employs a carbon foam shield capable of enduring temperatures ranging from 980 to 1,425 °C (1,800 to 2,600 °F). This shield also protects the spacecraft’s instruments, maintaining them at room temperature to ensure their functionality in the harsh solar environment.

As Associate Administrator Nicky Fox, who leads NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, stated in a recent NASA press release:

“Flying this close to the Sun marks a historic milestone in humanity’s first mission to a star. By closely studying the Sun, we can glean insights into its effects throughout our solar system, including the technology we rely upon in daily life, and further our understanding of star functionality across the universe, aiding in the search for habitable worlds beyond our own.”

Nour Rawafi, the project scientist for the Parker Solar Probe at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (JHUAPL), emphasized the probe’s remarkable performance: “[The] Parker Solar Probe is bravely confronting one of the most extreme environments in space and exceeding all expectations,” he noted. “This mission heralds a new golden era of space exploration, bringing us closer than ever to unraveling the deepest enigmas of the Sun.”

The concept of the Parker Solar Probe first emerged in a 1958 report by the National Academy of Sciences’ Space Science Board, which recommended developing a probe capable of venturing inside Mercury’s orbit to study the particles and fields near the Sun. Subsequent proposals in the 1970s and 1980s laid the groundwork, though it would take several decades to realize the technological advancements and cost-effective mission necessary for its execution.

In its previous close passes, the Parker Solar Probe has uncovered numerous intriguing and unanticipated findings. During its initial foray into the solar atmosphere in 2021, the probe revealed that the corona’s outer boundary was distinguished by spikes and valleys, challenging prior assumptions. Furthermore, it identified the source of switchbacks—zigzag structures—in the solar wind within the photosphere. The probe has since spent significantly more time in the corona, meticulously examining pivotal solar processes.

The probe’s discoveries transcend solar phenomena. A primary objective includes examining how solar activity impacts “space weather,” which encompasses the interactions between solar wind and Solar System planets. Notably, the probe has captured numerous images of Venus throughout its gravity assists, documenting the planet’s radio emissions and providing the inaugural complete image of Venus’ orbital dust ring.

Additionally, the probe has faced coronal mass ejections (CMEs) numerous times, which have swept dust along their paths within the Solar System. “We now comprehend the solar wind and its acceleration away from the Sun,” commented Adam Szabo, the Parker Solar Probe mission scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. “This close encounter will yield further data to deepen our understanding of how it accelerates as it approaches the Sun.”

The probe also provided a unique viewpoint of comet NEOWISE by capturing images from its exceptional vantage point. With confirmation of the probe’s safety, the mission team eagerly anticipates its data transmission from the recent solar pass.

“The data to be retrieved from the spacecraft will provide unprecedented information about a location humanity has never reached,” stated Joe Westlake, the director of the Heliophysics Division at NASA Headquarters. “This is an astounding achievement.”

The spacecraft is scheduled for its next solar encounters on March 22, 2025, and June 19, 2025.

This article was originally published by Universe Today. Read the original article.