NASA's Parker Solar Probe is preparing for a groundbreaking close approach to the sun, using a final flyby of Venus to gain the speed and direction it needs to reach a record-breaking distance from our star.
On Wednesday, the probe will pass just 233 miles above Venus, using the planet's gravitational pull to adjust its trajectory toward its ultimate goal of orbiting a mere 3.86 million miles from the sun's surface by December 24. This will make Parker the closest human-made object to the sun, beating its own previous record set in September 2023.
NASA's Parker Solar Probe Nears Record-Breaking Orbit, Aiming for Closest Pass to the Sun
The Parker Solar Probe was launched in August 2018 with the mission to study the sun's corona, the outermost layer of its atmosphere, and to better understand solar activity and space weather.
Named after solar astrophysicist Eugene Parker, the probe has gradually moved closer to the sun through a series of Venus flybys, each one helping it to accelerate and change its orbit without needing additional fuel.
Wednesday's maneuver will be Parker's seventh and final close encounter with Venus, which has also given scientists an exciting chance to observe the planet's surface using the probe's powerful cameras.
The mission's planned orbit on December 24 is expected to bring Parker so close to the sun that it will actually pass through clouds of hot plasma, and could even enter a solar eruption, similar to how a surfer dives under a crashing wave.
These extreme conditions offer a unique chance to capture direct measurements of the solar atmosphere, revealing insights about solar winds and magnetic fields that influence space weather, ABC News reported.
Adam Szabo, a project scientist at NASA, describes the achievement as a "major engineering accomplishment," reflecting the incredible challenges involved in getting a probe this close to such intense heat and radiation.
Parker Probe Preps for Record Sun Approach, Signal Blackout Expected
During this record-breaking approach, mission control will be out of contact with Parker for about three days due to the powerful interference from the sun. If all goes according to plan, the probe will send a beacon signal back to Earth on December 27, confirming that it is operating normally.
This will mark a huge milestone in humanity's study of the sun, bringing scientists closer to answers about solar storms, which can disrupt satellites, power grids, and other technologies on Earth.
Beyond studying the sun, Parker's flybys of Venus have yielded valuable data about the planet itself. During a previous encounter in July 2020, the probe's imaging device, WISPR, captured rare images of Venus' surface through its thick clouds, showing its glowing hot surface.
Scientists hope Wednesday's pass will provide more information about Venus' geology and atmospheric properties, using WISPR to capture additional details about the planet's surface. This marks a secondary, yet significant, scientific benefit of Parker's mission.
Traveling at an incredible speed-up to 430,000 miles per hour once it nears the sun-Parker is pushing the boundaries of what we know about both Venus and the sun.
For scientists like Nour Raouafi, an astrophysicist with the mission, the mission's historic journey resembles humanity's early ventures into space, much like the moon landing.
As Parker journeys deeper into the sun's atmosphere, it promises to unlock mysteries that could advance our understanding of solar activity and, in turn, help protect our technology and infrastructure here on Earth.
