Source: IE
Context: NASA scientists announced that the Parker Solar Probe survived the closest-ever approach to the Sun. The craft was operating normally after it passed just 6.1 million km from the solar surface.
About Parker Solar Probe:
- Launch Year: August 12, 2018.
- Organisation: NASA, under its Living with a Star program.
- Aim:
- Study the Sun’s corona and magnetic fields.
- Explore the origins of solar winds and their impact on the solar system.
- Enhance forecasting of space weather that affects life and technology on Earth.
- Features:
- Protected by a 4.5-inch carbon-composite heat shield.
- Travels at speeds up to 692,000 km/h, enduring temperatures up to 1,377°C.
- Significance of Achievement:
- Offers insights into the Sun’s high-temperature corona and the mystery of solar winds.
- Crucial for understanding and mitigating solar activity’s effects on Earth’s power grids, satellites, and communication systems.
- Data gathered supports advances in space weather forecasting and solar physics research.
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