Forward - to the Sun

On August 12, 2018, the Parker Solar Probe was launched from Cape Canaveral (USA). It will help scientists better study the solar corona, the features of the “solar wind”, determine the structure and dynamics of the star’s magnetic field, etc. The probe will come closest to the star in December 2024, approaching the solar photosphere at a distance of about 9 solar radii (about 6 .2 million km): this is significantly closer than all the devices that have ever been sent to the Sun.

The Parker Solar Probe will be protected from extreme temperatures (about 1400 °C) by a special heat shield with a diameter of 2.4 m. The device will completely “hide” in its shadow. The heat shield design includes two carbon-carbon composite panels and an 11cm thick carbon foam core. The exterior will be painted with a special white paint to reflect as much thermal energy as possible. The project cost is $1.5 billion. For the first time, a NASA spacecraft was named after a living scientist - astrophysicist Eugene Parker.

A.O.

For more information, see parkersolarprobe.jhuapl.edu