NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has made history, surviving its closest-ever approach to the Sun. The spacecraft, which launched in 2018, passed a record-breaking 3.8 million miles (6.1 million km) from the Sun’s surface on Christmas Eve, enduring extreme conditions in a mission to unravel some of the star’s biggest mysteries.
Scientists received a signal from the probe just before midnight EST on Thursday, after several days of communication silence during the fly-by. NASA confirmed that the spacecraft was “safe” and operating normally following its perilous journey through the Sun’s outer atmosphere.
The Parker Solar Probe, moving at speeds of up to 430,000 mph (692,000 km/h), experienced temperatures as high as 1,800°F (980°C) during the fly-by. Protected by a specially designed 4.5-inch thick carbon-composite shield, the spacecraft was built to withstand the intense heat and radiation as it plunged into the Sun’s corona—the outermost part of its atmosphere.
“This close-up study of the Sun allows Parker Solar Probe to take measurements that help scientists better understand how material in this region gets heated to millions of degrees, trace the origin of the solar wind, and discover how energetic particles are accelerated to near light speed,” NASA said.
Dr. Nicola Fox, NASA’s head of science, explained that, while scientists have studied the Sun for centuries, we could not fully comprehend its atmosphere until we physically explored it. “We can’t really experience the atmosphere of our star unless we fly through it,” she said.
Despite the extreme conditions, the spacecraft’s speed and shield allowed it to quickly traverse the Sun’s corona, collecting valuable data along the way. Dr. Jenifer Millard, an astronomer at Fifth Star Labs, emphasized the importance of understanding the Sun’s hot corona. “The surface of the Sun is about 6,000°C, but the corona reaches millions of degrees. Scientists have long wondered why the atmosphere gets hotter as it moves further from the Sun.”
The mission will also shed light on solar wind—the stream of charged particles ejected from the Sun’s corona. These particles can interact with Earth’s magnetic field, creating stunning auroras, but they can also disrupt power grids, communications, and satellites, making it crucial to understand space weather.
NASA’s team had been anxiously waiting for a signal from the probe as it navigated the Sun’s intense environment. Dr. Fox expressed her relief when the probe successfully sent back data. “It’s a tough, tough little spacecraft,” she said, acknowledging the mission’s high-risk nature and the engineering that made it possible.
The Parker Solar Probe has already completed 21 fly-bys of the Sun, but its Christmas Eve pass marked a major milestone in the mission, which will continue to provide critical insights into our star’s behavior.
