NASA's Parker Solar Probe will make its closest-ever sun approach on Christmas Eve, but why is its success a mystery to us?

Parker Solar Probe (Image: NASA)

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is gearing up for an extraordinary milestone. The spacecraft was supposed to make its closest-ever approach to the Sun on December 24. At precisely 6:53 a.m. EST, the probe might have reached just 3.8 million miles (6.1 million kilometres) from the solar surface. Travelling at a speed of 430,000 mph (692,000 kph), it will gather data from the Sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the corona.

Mission Details and Flyby Preparations
The Parker Solar Probe, a NASA project designed by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (JHUAPL), has achieved remarkable progress. It has already completed 21 solar encounters and seven Venus flybys. This upcoming flyby marks its 22nd solar approach, aiming to uncover new insights about the Sun’s outer layers.

Nick Pinkine, mission operations manager at JHUAPL, highlighted the importance of this flyby. He explained that the probe would provide invaluable data from regions never before explored by spacecraft. A final transmission was sent to Earth on 20 December, confirming the probe’s systems are functioning normally.

Read Also: NASA, using Hubble and Chandra, discovers a 'sideways black hole,' defying scientists' expectations

During the flyby, the spacecraft will lose contact with Earth. Communication is expected to resume on 27 December, providing a health update. Scientific data, including telemetry, is anticipated to start arriving by January 2025.

Engineering to Withstand Extreme Temperatures
The Parker Solar Probe’s design enables it to withstand extreme conditions. Temperatures during the flyby could soar to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit (980 degrees Celsius). Its advanced heat shield, built from carbon foam, protects the instruments, maintaining near room-temperature conditions. This shield can endure temperatures of up to 1,377 degrees Celsius.

Read Also: NASA spots 'Christmas tree' and 'cosmic wreath' displaying star cycle in space; see images

Two more close solar flybys are planned for 2025, scheduled for 22 March and 19 June. After these, decisions on the probe’s trajectory and operations will follow. The mission seeks to answer crucial questions about solar behaviour, contributing significantly to our understanding of the Sun’s phenomena.

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe continues to push the boundaries of solar exploration, offering insights into the most intense environments of our solar system.