The Parker Solar Probe is a NASA spacecraft designed to study the Sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the corona. Launched on August 12, 2018, it aims to gather data on solar wind, magnetic fields, and the solar atmosphere to better understand solar phenomena and their effects on space weather. The probe approaches the Sun closer than any previous spacecraft, traveling through the Sun’s outer atmosphere at speeds of up to 430,000 miles per hour (about 700,000 kilometers per hour). Its mission is to provide insights into the solar dynamics that influence Earth’s climate and technology by measuring various solar properties and processes. The Parker Solar Probe is named after Dr. Eugene Parker, an astrophysicist who proposed the existence of the solar wind in the 1950s.
The Fate of NASA's Groundbreaking Mission After a thrilling close approach to the sun on Christmas Eve, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe leaves scientists anxiously awaiting news about its survival. As…