NASA Parker Solar Probe: NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, launched in 2018, is the fastest thing made by humans. This spacecraft of the American Space Agency can fly at a speed of about 7 lakh kilometers per hour. Parker Solar Probe is now on its way to ‘touch’ the Sun. According to NASA, on December 24, it is going to make its closest dive yet into the Sun’s corona. During this time, this spacecraft will come at a distance of about 3.9 million miles (6.2 million kilometers) from the Sun. Parker Solar Probe will travel at its closest approach at a speed of 690,000 km/h or 191 km/s, which is 0.064% of the speed of light

Before Parker Solar Probe, no spacecraft had gone so close to the Sun. On December 24, 2024, it will reach a distance of only 6 million kilometers from the Sun’s surface. This distance is only 4% of the average distance from the Earth to the Sun.
  On December 24, this spacecraft will travel at the fastest speed ever. Its speed will be approximately 700,000 kilometers per hour (430,000 miles per hour). That means it will become the fastest thing ever made by man. At this speed, one can reach Tokyo from New York on earth in just one minute.

To protect the probe from extreme temperatures, a 4.5-inch thick carbon-composite heat shield has been installed in it. This shield can withstand temperatures up to 1370 degrees Celsius.
Parker Solar Probe is using a completely autonomous navigation system during its mission. This vehicle can ‘re-calibrate’ its path depending on its surrounding environment.

Objective of NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Mission

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is a historic space mission. Its purpose is to get close to the surface of the Sun and understand its internal activities and the energy emanating from it.
A stream of charged particles continuously comes out from the Sun, which is called solar wind. This solar wind affects the entire solar system and also affects the Earth’s space weather system. Scientists want to understand how this wind moves so fas

The surface temperature is about 5,500 degrees Celsius, but the corona around it (outer atmosphere) is many times hotter, about 1 million degrees Celsius. This is a big mystery for scientists which Parker Solar Probe is trying to solve.

Explosive events in the Sun, such as coronal mass ejections (CMEs), solar flares, and plasma ejections, can disrupt technological systems on Earth. Parker Solar Probe is collecting necessary data to predict these events.
The Sun’s magnetic field is very complex and dynamic. This probe provides detailed information about the structure of its magnetic field and the phenomena related to it.

Parker Solar Probe is equipped with four state-of-the-art scientific instruments:
fields
It measures electric and magnetic fields and understands the structure of the plasma atmosphere surrounding the Sun. This provides information about the fine structure of the Sun’s magnetic field.

WISPR (Wide-field Imager for Parker Solar Probe)
It works like a camera mounted on the front of the vehicle and takes pictures of the solar wind emanating from the Sun. Its pictures provide researchers with evidence of solar events

SWEAP (Solar Wind Electrons Alphas and Protons)
This instrument detects the number, speed and density of charged particles present in the solar wind. This instrument helps in understanding the dynamic nature of the solar wind.

This instrument studies the nature and origin of high-energy particles. It provides important data for understanding energetic events around the Sun.

Even before the historic jump on December 24, Parker Solar Probe has already collected vital data. It identified the sources of the solar wind and discovered that it originates from the magnetic fields of the Sun’s surface. This will help scientists to accurately predict space weather.
The spacecraft recorded small magnetic storms and unexpected explosions on the surface of the Sun, about which there was no information before. Parker Solar Probe detected sudden changes in the direction of the magnetic field, called ‘switchbacks’. It is useful in understanding the speed of the solar wind and its spread.

This mission will continue to revolve around the Sun in its orbit till 2025. Every time the spacecraft moves closer to the Sun, new data and discoveries emerge. The information obtained from this mission will enable scientists to better predict solar storms, which will ensure the safety of Earth’s satellites and communication systems.
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is a milestone in the history of astronomy. It is taking our knowledge of what we consider the most important thing in the universe – the Sun – to new heights. The information obtained from this mission can reveal many unsolved mysteries for future generations

The Parker Solar Probe was launched on August 12, 2018. It is a NASA space probe designed to study the Sun. It will make numerous close passes to the Sun, ultimately reaching within about 3.83 million miles of the Sun’s surface. This will make it the closest spacecraft to ever approach the Sun.
The probe is equipped with a variety of instruments to study the Sun’s corona, the outermost layer of its atmosphere. These instruments will help scientists to better understand the Sun’s magnetic field, plasma, and energetic particles. The data collected by the Parker Solar Probe will also help to improve our understanding of space weather, which can affect Earth and other planets.

Indian solar probe

India’s solar probe is called Aditya-L1. It was launched on September 2, 2023, by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Aditya-L1 is a coronagraphy spacecraft designed to study the Sun’s atmosphere, particularly the corona. It is positioned at the Lagrangian point 1 (L1) between the Earth and the Sun, offering an uninterrupted view of the Sun.
The probe carries seven payloads to study various aspects of the Sun, including its photosphere, chromosphere, and corona. These instruments will help scientists understand solar phenomena like coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and their impact on space weather.
Aditya-L1 is a significant milestone for India’s space program, marking its entry into solar research. It is expected to provide valuable insights into the Sun’s behavior and its influence on Earth.

Other solar probes of world

Beyond India’s Aditya-L1 and NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, several other countries and collaborations have launched solar probes to study our star:

• Solar Orbiter (ESA/NASA): Launched in 2020, this joint mission aims to provide the first images of the Sun’s poles. It will also study the solar wind and its connection to the heliosphere.
• SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) (ESA/NASA): Launched in 1995, SOHO has been a cornerstone of solar research, providing continuous observations of the Sun and its atmosphere.
• STEREO (Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory) (NASA): This mission consisted of two spacecraft launched in 2006 to provide stereoscopic views of the Sun and study coronal mass ejections.
• Hinode (JAXA/NASA/ESA): Launched in 2006, Hinode (formerly Solar-B) is a Japanese-led mission studying the Sun’s magnetic field and its role in solar activity.
• Parker Solar Probe (NASA): As mentioned earlier, this revolutionary probe is making unprecedented close approaches to the Sun, providing groundbreaking insights into the solar corona.
  These missions, along with others like the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS), contribute to our comprehensive understanding of the Sun and its impact on Earth and the solar system.

Solar probes are incredibly important for several key reasons:

• Understanding the Sun: The Sun is the source of life on Earth, and its behavior directly affects our planet. Solar probes help us understand how the Sun works, including its magnetic fields, plasma, and energetic particles. This knowledge is crucial for predicting and mitigating space weather events.
• Space Weather Prediction: Space weather, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), can disrupt satellites, communication systems, and even power grids on Earth. By studying the Sun up close, solar probes help us improve our ability to forecast space weather events, allowing us to take precautions and minimize potential damage.
• Protecting Astronauts: As we venture further into space, including potential missions to Mars, understanding the Sun’s environment is critical for protecting astronauts from radiation and other hazards. Solar probes provide valuable data that can inform the design of spacecraft and spacesuits, ensuring the safety of future space explorers.
• Advancing Technology: The development of solar probes pushes the boundaries of engineering and technology. The extreme conditions near the Sun require innovative solutions for heat shielding, radiation protection, and data transmission. These technological advancements can have spin-off benefits in other fields, such as medicine and materials science.
• Scientific Discovery: Solar probes provide a unique opportunity to study the Sun in unprecedented detail, leading to new discoveries and a deeper understanding of our universe. The data collected by these missions can revolutionize our knowledge of fundamental physics and astrophysics.
  In summary, solar probes are essential for understanding the Sun, predicting space weather, protecting astronauts, advancing technology, and making new scientific discoveries. They play a crucial role in our quest to explore and understand our place in the universe.

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