NASA's Parker Solar Probe Completes Record-Breaking Sun Flyby
The spacecraft survived extreme heat and speed during its closest approach to the sun, gathering unprecedented data on solar phenomena.
- On December 24, 2024, the Parker Solar Probe came within 6.1 million kilometers of the sun, the closest approach by any human-made object in history.
- The spacecraft reached a record speed of 692,000 kilometers per hour, making it the fastest object ever built by humans.
- NASA confirmed the probe's systems and scientific instruments remain fully operational after enduring extreme temperatures and solar conditions.
- The mission aims to uncover why the sun's corona is significantly hotter than its surface and to study the origins of solar winds and storms.
- Scientists expect to receive detailed data from the flyby later this month, with more close approaches planned for March and June 2025.