And NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is continuing to write history, setting a new record for how ground-breaking a space mission can be. It was because on December 24, 2024, the probe came within 3.8 million miles of the Sun’s surface – surpassing the closest approach of any spacecraft.
Parker’s launched six years ago for the study of the Sun’s atmosphere and solar processes. The latest achievement brings its own record of 22 close approaches surpassed, as it previously bested itself with 4.51 million miles. It was enabled by a carefully planned slingshot around the planet Venus in November, which used the planet’s gravity to squeeze the spacecraft’s orbit around the Sun. NASA confirmed the key moment occurred at 6:They were cut off for 53 AM EST as a result of intense solar radiation, though direct communication with the probe was temporarily lost at the time. Once Parker emerges from behind the Sun it should be possible for the agency to reestablish contact.
It is the central fact of Parker’s success. The spacecraft is shielded by a cutting edge carbon composite heat shield and can withstand 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit. Despite that, its interior temperatures are kept a cool 85 degrees Fahrenheit on average. To survive the Sun’s harsh environment Parker travels at a staggering speed of 430,000 miles per hour and relies on that velocity. The historic flyby provides good data on the Sun’s physics that help to unravel long-standing mysteries — such as why its corona is so much hotter than its surface. And in tracing the flow of heat from the surface into the corona, Parker helps scientists untangle mechanisms behind the extreme temperature variations.
Parker has already become the first spacecraft to enter the corona in 2021, and will add four more close approaches in 2025 to complete its mission. What it collects will shed light on the Sun and stars everywhere in the universe. Using NASA’s Eyes on the Solar System, you can follow Parker’s route.
