Mission accomplished? Solar Probe just touched the Sun, but we don't know if it survived

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe touched the Sun’s atmosphere, flying within 3.8 million miles (around 6.1 million kilometers) from the surface of the Sun on Tuesday, Dec. 24, at 6:53 a.m. EST.

During its closest approach, also called perihelion, mission operations will be out of contact with the spacecraft.

Parker will transmit another beacon tone on Friday, Dec. 27, to confirm its health following the close flyby.

Going where no human-made object has gone

This approach is unlike anything previously accomplished by a human-made spacecraft, marking a landmark in solar science that may rewrite much of what we know about our star.

Arik Posner, Parker Solar Probe program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington, sees this effort as a new window into solar research.

“This is one example of NASA’s bold missions, doing something that no one else has ever done before to answer longstanding questions about our universe,” said Arik.

The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, manages mission operations and is keeping a watchful eye on every step as Parker speeds by.

Breathtaking pace of the Parker solar probe

The spacecraft is moving at approximately 430,000 miles per hour. At that velocity, Parker could zip from New York to Los Angeles in about 20 seconds.

By approaching the Sun so closely, mission teams hope to retrieve data that no earlier craft could access.

Particles in the corona — where temperatures can exceed a few million degrees — tend to behave in puzzling ways.

Scientists aim to see how these intense conditions might shape solar wind, which jets out at more than one million miles per hour.

Engineers designed Parker’s trajectory with careful flybys of Venus to shrink its orbit gradually around the Sun. This path has taken years to perfect since launch in 2018.

Each loop demanded detailed calculations to ensure the craft can survive the approach, collect the right measurements, and keep sending updates back to Earth.

Solar probe battling extreme heat

Because the Sun’s heat is punishing at such a short distance, Parker Solar Probe relies on a carbon-composite shield 4.5 inches thick.

This protective layer keeps sensitive instruments near room temperature while the shield’s front side can face extreme temperatures above 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sophisticated cooling systems also channel heat away from the core of the spacecraft, helping to sustain the electronics that record measurements of plasma, magnetic fields, and solar wind particles.

Inside, the instruments are scanning for clues to explain the corona’s unusual temperatures, which skyrocket to levels far higher than the Sun’s visible surface.

Those same instruments are also watching for charged particle bursts and fluctuations in magnetic fields that might help answer big questions about what accelerates the solar wind.

Crucial timing and limited contact

Today’s perihelion means Parker is currently skimming the outer atmosphere of the Sun while in autonomous mode, out of immediate radio contact.

This window of silence is standard because powerful solar emissions prevent reliable communication. Mission operators anticipate a beacon tone on December 27, which should confirm Parker has survived.

Scientists believe that data from this flyby could provide unprecedented detail on solar activity. Periods of heightened activity, known as solar maxima, produce more flares and coronal mass ejections.

These events can spawn auroras at unexpected latitudes and threaten satellites with bursts of charged particles.

By collecting data from close range, Parker might reveal new insights into how these explosive happenings form and evolve.

Visionary behind the Parker solar probe

This trailblazer of solar research is named after Dr. Eugene N. Parker, the late astrophysicist from the University of Chicago who proposed the existence of the solar wind back in the 1950s.

He changed our understanding of how stars interact with their surroundings. In 2018, he became the first person to witness the launch of a spacecraft bearing his name.

Though he passed away in 2022, his legacy lives on in every close pass the probe completes.

A closer look at solar wind

One of the main motivations behind Parker Solar Probe mission is to figure out how solar wind, that stream of charged particles racing from the Sun, accelerates to incredible speeds.

Scientists hope Parker will pinpoint where and how energy is transferred to these particles. Such information could refine space weather forecasts, which are critical for protecting satellites, power grids, and astronauts in orbit.

Plasma behavior at these altitudes can also inform theories about stellar physics beyond the Sun.

Many stars release similar particle streams, so unraveling the inner workings of the solar wind could offer a template for understanding events happening light-years away.

High-stakes data for space weather predictions

Operators know that space weather can have major effects here on Earth. Sudden geomagnetic storms have been known to disrupt radio signals, damage satellites, and even cause power outages.

By studying the Sun’s activity from the inside, Parker could lead to more accurate warnings for regions of the world vulnerable to blackouts.

Air traffic, GPS services, and communication infrastructure may all benefit from improved predictions of solar flares and particle storms.

A milestone for Parker Solar Probe

Now that the probe is at perihelion, mission managers will hold their breath for a few days.

“No human-made object has ever passed this close to a star, so Parker will truly be returning data from uncharted territory,” explained Nick Pinkine, Parker Solar Probe mission operations manager at APL.

He added that the team is eager to see how Parker managed the flyby when the link reopens.

This moment is a milestone for solar science. If everything goes as planned, Parker will maintain its orbit for future close passes, each offering a renewed chance to investigate the corona’s strange properties.

Researchers anticipate more discoveries that will fill in knowledge gaps about the Sun’s extreme environment.

Far from being an isolated phenomenon, the Sun’s behavior plays a significant role in shaping conditions on Earth.

Today’s brush with solar fury signals the continuing progress of human exploration — and the promise of deeper insight into the star that illuminates our world.

—–

Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates. 

Check us out on EarthSnap, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

—–