Mission: Sun - Launching August 2018
Artist's rendition of the Parker Solar Probe. Image Credits: NASA/JHUAPL
It sounds like a sci-fi film: A mission to the sun.
No, it's not the movie Sunshine - but rather the Parker Solar Probe.
Since we've already visited all the planets in our solar system, it's only logical that our star should be next. If all goes according to plan, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe - which is only the size of a small car - will be the first-ever mission to "touch" the sun by traveling directly into its atmosphere. Given the magnitude of this impending launch, we thought it appropriate to answer some of the most BURNING questions about the mission...
Why are we going to the sun?
That seems like a silly question. The real question is - why would we NOT?! According to NASA, the Parker Solar Probe has three main objectives:
Trace the flow of energy that heats and accelerates the solar corona and solar wind.
Determine the structure and dynamics of the plasma and magnetic fields at the sources of the solar wind.
Explore mechanisms that accelerate and transport energetic particles.
NASA's Parker Solar Probe mission will revolutionize our understanding of the sun. Parker Solar Probe will provide new data on solar activity and make critical contributions to our ability to forecast major space-weather events that impact life on Earth.
How long will it take to get to the sun, and how are we getting there?
Image Credit: JHUAPL
It is estimated that it will take roughly seven years to reach our star. (Well, about 4 million miles away from it. For reference, the Earth's average distance to the sun is 93 million miles.) The Parker Solar Probe will use the gravity of Venus to help bring it closer to the sun. What this means is that the probe will fly close enough to Venus to use the force of its gravity to propel it toward the sun - a technique that has helped us fly by every single planet. This is also referred to as a gravity assist.
How will the probe not melt - literally?
Scientists really are incredible. In order to withstand the face-melting temperatures of 1,400° C / 2,500° F, the probe will be protected by a carbon-composite shield which will keep the spacecraft and its contents at nearly ROOM TEMPERATURE. Just think about that for a minute. We're talking about a shield that weighs no more than a human being at 160 pounds, and is just 4.5 inches thick. Protecting a probe. From the surface of the sun. That's cooler than most of the United States right now.
When do we leave? Sign me up!
The current launch window is August 4 - 19, 2018. Earlier in 2018, NASA offered people a chance to hop on board - well, in spirit. People could submit their names online to be placed on a microchip aboard the mission. Sadly the deadline has passed, but we'll be excited for the day that Parker finally reaches the sun. Hell, maybe we'll even play some Smash Mouth in celebration (they did predict six to eight years to arrive, after all)!
