The Parker Solar Probe completed a historic approach to Sun and broke the speed record for any human-made object. Its signal was detected by NASA
The Parker Solar Probe called after entering the Sun’s atmosphere
This morning NASA detected the beacon signal of the Parker Solar Probe, a simple tone to indicate that it is in good condition and functioning normally after touching the Sun’s atmosphere on December 24.
The spacecraft is expected to send more detailed telemetry data on January 1, but For now it is known that he survived his last approach. Its carbon fiber-reinforced heat shield reached temperatures of 1,371ºC.
On Christmas Eve, the 50kg spacecraft passed just 6.1 million kilometers from the solar surface; It is its closest flyby of the star. Boosted by the gravitational assist of Venus, the probe reached a record speed of 692,000 kilometers per hourentering the solar corona fast enough to avoid falling into the star.
What is the objective of the Parker Solar Probe
The Parker probe is in a mission to locate the origin of the solar wind, a continuous flow of material emanating from the Sun and affecting the entire solar system, predicted by astrophysicist Eugene N. Parker in the 1950s.
Their measurements are helping scientists better understand how solar corona material heats up to millions of degrees and why the Sun’s energetic particles accelerate to a speed close to the speed of light.
Source: Ambito
