NASA's Parker Solar Probe Equals Record Proximity to Sun on March 22

On March 22, NASA's Parker Solar Probe, the first spacecraft to "touch" the Sun in 2021, matched its record by approaching within 6.1 million kilometers of the Sun's surface, traveling at 692,000 kilometers per hour. During this pass, the probe operated autonomously, using its instruments to gather data on the solar wind from within the Sun's corona. On March 25, it sent a confirmation signal indicating normal operation. This flyby allows for unprecedented scientific measurements of the solar wind and related activities. Scientists anticipate that the data will improve space weather predictions and solve mysteries about the Sun, such as why its corona is hotter than its surface. The probe's heat shield protects it from the Sun's heat, allowing its components to operate at ambient temperatures. The Parker Solar Probe will perform another flyby at a similar speed and distance on June 19. The probe is named after astrophysicist Eugene Parker, who first theorized the existence of the solar wind in 1958.