Sun mission

NASA is planning a mission to the sun.

The parker solar probe, will explore the sun, and its outermost atmosphere, called the Corona.

It will have a 7 cm coat of carbon composite solar shield, 

to protect it from heat and radiation, never before experienced by any space craft.

The mission is named after the scientist Parker.

Parker published research predicting the existence of solar wind in 1958.

At that time astronomers believed that the space between planets was a vacuum.

Parker's first paper was rejected.

It was saved by the astrophysicist Chandrashekar.

Chandrashekar was awarded the 1983 Nobel prize for physics.

Later the theory of solar wind, was confirmed by satellite observations.

This revolutionised the understanding of the sun and inter planetary space.

The probe will eventually orbit within 6 million kilometers from the sun's surface.

The observations and data could provide insight about the physics of stars.

It will throw light on the mysterious corona.

It will increase understanding of solar wind and help forecast major space weather events.

These events impact satellites, astronauts, and the power grid on the Earth.

The airline flights are also exposed to radiation from the sun.

The mission's objective are :

Tracing the flow of energy that heats and accelerates the sun's corona, and solar wind.

To determine the structure and dynamics of the plasma in magnetic fields at the source of the solar wind.

Explore mechanisms that accelerate and transport energetic particles.

Solar wind is the flow of charged gases from the sun, that is present in most of the solar system.

The wind screams past Earth at 1.6 million kilometers per hour.

Disturbances in the solar wind cause disruptive space weather, that impacts our planet.

In order to reach an orbit around the sun, the probe will take 7 flybys of Venus.

This will essentially give a gravity assist, shrinking its orbit around the sun, in seven years.

The probe will eventually be closer to the sun than mercury.

It will be close enough to watch solar wind whip up from subsonic to supersonic speeds.

When closest to the sun, the carbon composite solar shields have to withstand temperatures close to 1400 degree centigrade.

The heat shields maintains the instruments at room temperature.

The probe will reach a speed of 800000 kilometers per hour.

Scientists are expecting the findings of the probe to help solve many mysteries.