Parker Solar Probe to make closest flyby of Venus this month
%2Favatars%2FmiPaTnXVs8LI.png&w=96&q=75)
%2F2023%2F08%2F14%2Fimage%2Fjpeg%2Fvq9YT9ybjTvrBR5DDAlq7Cpve45Ii8Oz6bHJOv8e.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe will conduct its sixth close Venus flyby on Monday, August 21.
As per NASA's blog, the mission control team at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel sent a series of commands that enabled the spacecraft to perform a short and precise maneuver on August 3.
The Sun-orbiting probe used its small thrusters for only 4.5 seconds, allowing it to fine-tune its speed and direction to approach Venus.
This advanced the spacecraft's trajectory by 77 miles (124 kilometers) and increased its speed by 1.4 seconds, propelling it to swing close to the Sun's second planet.
Exciting news! Parker Solar Probe is ready for its closest trip past Venus, thanks to a course correction on Aug. 3. This will be the sixth of seven approaches using Venus’ gravity to tighten its orbit around the Sun. Learn more: https://t.co/qH1Yh4DsRh pic.twitter.com/vRVRDRItVM
— NASA Sun & Space (@NASASun) August 10, 2023
“Parker’s velocity is about 8.7 miles per second, so in terms of changing the spacecraft’s speed and direction, this trajectory correction maneuver may seem insignificant. However, the maneuver is critical to get us the desired gravity assist at Venus, which will significantly change Parker’s speed and distance to the Sun,” said Yanping Guo, mission design and navigation manager at APL, in the NASA blog.
Flyby will enable spacecraft to fly near the Sun's surface
The Parker Probe will take advantage of the planet's gravity to tighten its orbit around the Sun during its close approach. Simply put, the probe's orbit will enable it to go far closer to the Sun's surface.
The spacecraft will encounter the Sun from a distance of roughly 4.5 million miles (7.2 million kilometers) while traveling at 394,742 miles per hour.
According to NASA, Parker will break its speed and solar distance records during this flyby. The probe successfully made its closest visit to the Sun in June, getting within 5.3 million miles (8.3 million kilometers) of the solar surface.
Following this, NASA intends to do another Venus flyby, bringing Parker extremely near to the Sun – approximately 3.9 million miles (6.2 million km). For reference, Earth is located at a whopping distance of 93 million miles (149 million km) away from our home star.
Parker will reach a top speed of around 430,000 miles per hour (700,000 kilometers per hour) during this flyby, which is scheduled for 2024. Fast enough to cover the distance between New York and Tokyo in less than a minute.
According to experts, each such near encounter offers a unique opportunity to collect data as well as learn more about the dynamics of this hot, giant ball of plasma and its impact on the solar system.
Launched in 2018
This probe, launched in 2018, scored a significant mission milestone in 2021 when it became the first spacecraft to "touch" the magnificent Sun. It traveled through the corona, or top atmosphere, of our star.
1️⃣ Thanks to Parker Solar Probe, the only spacecraft to “touch the Sun,” we know more about our Sun than ever before. Today marks the probe’s 5-year launch anniversary. So far it has completed 16 out of the 24 orbits around the Sun planned for its mission.https://t.co/uIccbqtaDm pic.twitter.com/JaHu5H0nKN
— NASA Sun & Space (@NASASun) August 12, 2023
Parker is protected with an advanced four-inch-thick shield to withstand the scorching heat and radiation coming from the Sun. Since its launch, it has advanced the space community's understanding of the Sun's activity like never before.
Through this mission, scientists seek to unravel enigmas surrounding the Sun, such as the heightened temperature of the corona compared to the surface. They also intend to extensively study the ever-changing solar wind, which propels a torrent of intensely charged particles into outer space.
SHOW COMMENT (1)
/2023/08/27/image/jpeg/fi494iLoRqITLtvrXotofLEJk8JZH1s8Z3Upge1M.jpg "Gallant ships: 5 underdogs of the seas that punched above their weight")
/2023/08/31/image/jpeg/RCklqoUliiOZrZ9TKBHqXIlgLKpe8S7RGLk87bzO.jpg "Giorgio Rosa, the engineer who built his own island")
/2023/07/31/image/jpeg/eNK3RS3ljKf5vLSQsStQ1gGHBKjS5wH9w8iL5QjE.jpg "Printed solar panels could generate power from existing infrastructure")
/2023/09/30/image/jpeg/PoCsIymcwAvQ6sepUEEzWvl5CJ9AlgVQPNCtMaK6.jpg "Llama 2 Long outperforms other AI models in long queries")
/2023/09/04/image/jpeg/UEuPO8vP8YA3PICuhwuvmebK4Pl9Cm1cShTAqGB2.jpg "Chinese researchers create dancing microrobots using lasers")
/2023/09/30/image/jpeg/j7W0nmt9ybApf7s6NcJo5tsvdEi9ZXLNcrEvZOcW.jpg "Codec avatars: The next frontier of Meta’s VR technology")
/2023/09/30/image/jpeg/1WhhgnoNffvKnXEpsuiGMBVoGNrbZUH1b6Nz5XHC.jpg "A new wearable sensor can monitor sweat in real time")
/2023/08/30/image/jpeg/Llkj2YI4zCWyQWM06dnC9PZHBRzZLT4na9uWmRXZ.jpg "Maybe you can hear sounds in space after all")
/2023/09/30/image/jpeg/6IjK0KBN2CeWMA7df6Up3U6thpVJXxlG6O1Vqavl.jpg "What are these black balls doing in the reservoir?")
/2023/09/30/image/jpeg/IZGEEAVw2PVVXJIIOPpT9vUucMJhQT9h6QTUx6t6.jpg "Google's new undersea cable will connect Portugal and the US")