NASA's Parker Solar Probe Achieves Historic Close Approach to the Sun

The spacecraft, the fastest human-made object, reached within 3.8 million miles of the Sun on Christmas Eve, collecting critical data on solar activity.

The Parker Solar Probe, launched in 2018, has become the closest human-made object to the Sun, flying within 3.8 million miles of its surface on December 24, 2024.
Traveling at a record-breaking speed of 430,000 mph, the spacecraft entered the Sun's corona, the outermost layer of its atmosphere, to gather unprecedented data.
The mission aims to solve key mysteries about the Sun, including why the corona is significantly hotter than the Sun's surface and how solar wind originates.
Data collected by the probe will improve forecasting models for solar storms, which can disrupt satellites, GPS, and power grids, and pose risks to astronauts in space.
This milestone marks the 22nd of 24 planned orbits, with the mission scheduled to conclude in 2025, contributing critical insights for future space exploration and solar science.