Space probe Parker aerospace Agency NASA is in a space only about two and a half months, but already breaking records. The unit was close to the distance 42,73 million kilometers to the Sun, becoming the closest to our sun probe in history. Earlier this record belonged to the German-American probe “Helios 2”, which established it in April 1976. In addition, Parker has broken another record, developing a maximum speed relative to the Sun above 246 960 kilometers per hour.
Recall that at the moment the title of the fastest relative to the Earth of a spacecraft belongs to probe “Juno” — its speed is 265 000 kilometers per hour. By the end of his mission, Parker worth $ 1.5 billion will be able to beat this record.
Recall that the main objective of the unit is to study the solar corona. For that, he spent 7 years will make 24 flyby of our sun, getting closer and closer to the star. Latest fly “Parker” around the Sun should take place by the year 2025. At this point the unit will be located at a distance of only 6.16 million kilometers from the surface of the Sun. According to NASA experts, the powerful gravity of the star will eventually be able to accelerate the probe to a speed of approximately 690,000 miles per hour.
Preparations for the first trip around the Sun will begin October 31. The device will reach perihelion (nearest point from the object) 5 Nov.
“It’s only been 78 days since the launch of solar probe “Parker,” but we were close to our Sun so far away from the sun, no spacecraft in history. This is a significant moment for our team. Now we are fully focused on our first trip around the Sun, which will begin on October 31″, — says the head of the program “Parker” Andy Driesman of the applied physics Laboratory of Johns Hopkins University.
Solar probe is equipped with a special carbon composite shield, which protects the unit itself and the scientific instruments from direct exposure to the sun’s heat and radiation. In addition, the device has on Board a variety of scientific instruments to study our star. The probe will allow scientists to better understand the structure of the Sun, its composition, and activity. With this data, scientists wish to solve two very old puzzles. Researchers are interested in why the temperature of the outer atmosphere of the Sun (the corona) is much higher than its surface, and the reason for the acceleration of charged solar wind particles to very high speeds.
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