Overview

• The Parker Solar Probe will fly closer to the Sun than any human-made object, reaching just 6.1 million kilometers from the surface during its 22nd perihelion on Christmas Eve.
• Traveling at approximately 690,000 kilometers per hour, the probe will endure temperatures over 1,371 degrees Celsius, protected by its advanced thermal shield.
• Scientists aim to study the Sun's corona, which is hundreds of times hotter than its surface, to understand the origins of solar wind and extreme solar activity.
• Communication with the probe will be temporarily lost during the closest approach, with a status beacon expected to confirm its health on December 27.
• The mission, launched in 2018, is part of NASA's efforts to answer longstanding questions about solar dynamics and improve predictions of space weather impacts on Earth.