Parker Solar Probe reports good status after close solar approach
Friday, November 9, 2018 - 08:50
in Astronomy & Space
Parker Solar Probe is alive and well after skimming by the sun at just 15 million miles from our star's surface. This is far closer than any spacecraft has ever gone—the previous record was set by Helios B in 1976 and broken by Parker on Oct. 29—and this maneuver has exposed the spacecraft to intense heat and solar radiation in a complex solar wind environment.