NASA has once again demonstrated its prowess with the fastest man-made object: the Parker Solar Probe. This spacecraft recently flew at nearly 400,000 mph, which is 500 times the speed of sound. It matched the record it set in September 2023.
The Parker Solar Probe is on a historic mission to travel through the Sun’s outermost atmosphere, the corona. Launched in 2018, it was the first time a man-made object attempted such a feat. On June 29th, during its 20th close approach to the Sun, it matched its previous speed record and got within 4.51 million miles of the Sun’s surface.
Coming in hot! ☀️ 🛰️
— NASA Sun & Space (@NASASun) July 3, 2024
Parker Solar Probe just made its 20th close approach to the Sun, moving at a whopping 394,736 miles per hour and passing about 4.51 million miles from our star!
What’s next for Parker? Read more here: https://t.co/Bl9VICgOUw pic.twitter.com/KHfxhbQrdi
Building and launching the Parker Solar Probe cost $1.5 billion, but the data it gathers is invaluable. Studying the Sun and its behavior helps us understand its effects on Earth and provides insights into stars in other solar systems.
The probe is set to make another journey around the Sun on September 30th, 2024, about a year after breaking the speed record. It will travel at similar speeds and distances during this trip.
Even more impressive speeds are expected in three planned approaches that will bring the probe even closer to the Sun’s surface. It will get within 3.8 million miles and reach speeds of about 430,000 mph, with the first of these close approaches scheduled for November 6th.
