The spacecraft that will “touch” the sun: a new achievement after landing on the moon

In less than a year, humans will be able to “touch” it. helium, Performing a feat is equivalent to landing moon 54 years ago.

spaceship Parker Solar Probe Its historic mission begins on December 24, 2024, flying at unimaginable speeds and “touching” the sun.

The speed at which the spacecraft will develop and the time of the passage of the sun are unimaginable and can be compared to covering the distance between New York and London in just 30 seconds.

“This is equivalent to relegation The moon in 1969Dr. Nour Rawafi said – The spacecraft will pass at a speed of 435 thousand miles per hour, meaning… New York – London in 30 seconds

One small step for man, one giant step for humanity.…54 years after the historic landing on the moon and Neil Armstrong's “walk” on Earth's natural satellite, humanity is poised for equally great achievements.

The plan to build a permanent base first on the moon and then on Mars Exploring the extrasolar system The possibility of life in other planetary systems are just some of the projects “run” by the space agency. A huge project, to which scientists attach importance similar to Armstrong's “walk” on the surface of the moon, is the journey to “explore” the Sun with the Parker Solar Probe.

In about a year from now, On December 24, 2024, NASA's Parker Solar Probe will pass in front of the sun at an incredible speed of 195 km/second, or 435,000 miles per hour.

There are no man-made objects It won't move as fast eitherIn fact, the planet will have come very close to our star, just 6.1 million kilometers, or 3.8 million miles, from the Sun's “surface.” “We are about to land on a star,” said Dr. Nour Rawafi, Parker’s project scientist.

“This will be a tremendous achievement for all of humanity. This is equivalent to landing on the moon in 1969,” the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory scientist told BBC News.

His speed Parker Solar Probe It will come from the enormous gravitational force it exerts as it approaches the Sun. It will feel like a flight from New York to London in less than 30 seconds.

Its Parker Solar Probe US Space Agency It's one of the most daring missions ever. It was launched in 2018 with the aim of making frequent, closer passes by the sun.

The maneuver in late 2024 will lead Parker By only 4% The distance between the Sun and Earth (149 million km/93 million miles).

Temperatures 1400°C

The challenge will be enormous. At perihelion, the point at which the spacecraft will be closest to the star, the temperature at the front of the spacecraft will likely reach 1,400 degrees Celsius.

Parker's strategy is to get in fast and get out fast Solar environment measurements With organs growing behind a thick heat shield. Researchers hope the reward will be groundbreaking knowledge of some key solar processes.

Next year it will be The pinnacle of the mission By Parker. It will not be able to approach the Sun after December, mainly because its orbit will not allow it to oscillate Aphrodite To influence its course.