Parker Solar Probe Pushes into the Sun’s Shadow, Shield Protects the Mission
TL;DR Summary
The Parker Solar Probe remains the fastest human-made object, zipping through the Sun’s corona at about 430,000 mph and protected by a 4.5-inch-thick carbon-foam heat shield; after seven Venus gravity assists it now sits in its closest solar orbit, operating autonomously and returning data on the corona and solar wind as NASA extends the mission beyond its original plan.
Topics:science#carbon-foam-core#heat-shield#parker-solar-probe#solar-corona#space#venus-gravity-assists
- The Parker Solar Probe is still flying through the Sun's corona at 430,000 miles per hour, fast enough to cross the continental United States in about 20 seconds, because a 4.5-inch carbon-foam shield keeps the spacecraft in the shade Space Daily
- The Parker Solar Probe is now moving at 430,000 miles per hour, fast enough to cross the continental United States in 20 seconds, and it survives skimming the Sun's corona because a four-and-a-half-inch slab of carbon foam stays at room temperature on the Space Daily
- NASA sent a spacecraft toward the sun - then the impossible happened MSN
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