# Parker Solar Probe

> NASA robotic space probe to probe the outer corona of the Sun

**Wikidata**: [Q899091](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q899091)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parker_Solar_Probe)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/parker-solar-probe

## Summary
The Parker Solar Probe is a NASA robotic spacecraft designed to probe the outer corona of the Sun. Launched on August 12, 2018, it is the first spacecraft named after a living person, solar physicist Eugene Parker. The probe operates in a heliocentric orbit, aiming to conduct solar research and space exploration closer to the Sun than any previous mission.

## Key Facts
- **Launch Date**: August 12, 2018, at 07:31 UTC.
- **Launch Site**: Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 37B.
- **Launch Vehicle**: Delta IV Heavy (D380).
- **Manufacturer/Operator**: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.
- **Mass**: 685 kg (launch weight).
- **Dimensions**: 3 meters in length; 2.3 meters in diameter.
- **Orbital Period**: 88 days.
- **Orbit**: Heliocentric (artificial satellite of the Sun); Apoapsis of 109.3 million km; Semi-major axis of 0.388 AU.
- **Mission Program**: Part of NASA's "Living With a Star" program.
- **Scientific Instruments**: FIELDS, Integrated Science Investigation of the Sun (IS☉IS), Solar Wind Electrons Alphas and Protons (SWEAP), and Wide-Field Imager for Solar Probe (WISPR).

## FAQs
### Q: Why is it called the Parker Solar Probe?
A: The spacecraft is named after Eugene Parker, a solar physicist. It is notable for being the first NASA spacecraft named after a living person, receiving the designation in 2017.

### Q: How close does the probe get to the Sun?
A: The probe makes increasingly close flybys of the Sun. A significant flyby occurred on September 27, 2023, at a distance of 7.26 million kilometers, with a closer approach of 6.1 million kilometers scheduled for December 24, 2024.

### Q: What was the probe's original name?
A: Before being renamed Parker Solar Probe in 2017, the mission was officially known as "Solar Probe" (1990–2001) and later "Solar Probe Plus" (2008–2017).

### Q: How long is the mission expected to last?
A: The expected service life of the Parker Solar Probe is 7 years.

## Why It Matters
The Parker Solar Probe represents a monumental advancement in heliophysics and space exploration. As part of NASA's "Living With a Star" program, its primary significance lies in its ability to travel through the Sun's outer atmosphere (the corona) closer than any human-made object in history. By surviving extreme temperatures and radiation, the probe provides critical data that helps scientists understand solar wind, the Sun's outer atmosphere, and how stellar activity affects the solar system.

This mission addresses fundamental mysteries about the Sun, such as why the corona is hotter than the surface of the Sun and how the solar wind accelerates. The data collected by its four instrument suites aids in predicting major space weather events that can impact life and technology on Earth. The collaboration between NASA and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory has resulted in a spacecraft capable of setting records for speed and proximity to a star, marking a new era in robotic solar observation.

## Notable For
- **First spacecraft named after a living person**: Named for physicist Eugene Parker in 2017.
- **Closest approach to the Sun**: Sets records for proximity, approaching within approximately 6.1 million kilometers of the Sun's surface.
- **Record-breaking speed**: The mission has set speed marks during its solar swing-bys (referenced in mission data).
- **Extreme thermal protection**: Engineered to survive the intense heat of the solar corona to conduct direct measurements.
- **Historical naming progression**: Transitioned from "Solar Probe" to "Solar Probe Plus" before its final dedication.

## Body

### Mission Overview
The Parker Solar Probe is a robotic space probe and solar observatory launched by the United States. It serves as an artificial satellite of the Sun with a heliocentric orbit. The primary goal of the mission is space exploration and solar research, specifically to probe the outer corona of the Sun. It is a key component of the "Living With a Star" program, succeeding the BARREL mission and preceding the Solar Orbiter.

### Development and Specifications
Managed and manufactured by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, the probe was launched aboard a Delta IV Heavy rocket. The spacecraft has a launch mass of 685 kilograms, a length of 3 meters, and a diameter of 2.3 meters. It utilizes a spacecraft solar array for power.

### Orbital Dynamics
The probe follows an elliptical heliocentric orbit with a period of 88 days. Its orbit has an orbital inclination of 3.4 degrees and a semi-major axis of 0.388 astronomical units. The orbit varies significantly in altitude, with an apoapsis reaching 109.3 million kilometers and a periapsis bringing it close to the solar surface.

### Scientific Instrumentation
The probe carries four primary scientific instruments to analyze the solar environment:
*   **FIELDS**: Measures electric and magnetic fields.
*   **Integrated Science Investigation of the Sun (IS☉IS)**: Investigates energetic particles.
*   **Solar Wind Electrons Alphas and Protons (SWEAP)**: Counts solar wind particles.
*   **Wide-Field Imager for Solar Probe (WISPR)**: Takes images of the solar atmosphere.

### Mission Timeline and Events
*   **1990–2001**: Mission concept known as "Solar Probe".
*   **2008–2017**: Mission renamed "Solar Probe Plus".
*   **2017**: Officially renamed "Parker Solar Probe".
*   **August 12, 2018**: Successful launch from Cape Canaveral.
*   **October 2018**: Orbital operations commenced.
*   **September 27, 2023**: Completed a flyby at a distance of 7.26 million kilometers.
*   **December 24, 2024**: Scheduled flyby at a distance of 6.1 million kilometers.

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## References

1. [Source](https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/parker-solar-probe.htm)
2. [Wired](https://wired.co.uk/article/nasa-sun-mission-parker-solar-probe)
3. [Source](https://lws.gsfc.nasa.gov/missions.html)
4. Library of Congress Name Authority File
5. Jonathan's Space Report
6. [Source](http://parkersolarprobe.jhuapl.edu/Spacecraft/index.php)
7. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
8. [Source](https://blogs.nasa.gov/parkersolarprobe/2023/09/28/for-the-record-parker-solar-probe-sets-distance-speed-marks-on-17th-swing-by-the-sun/)
9. [Source](https://www.space.com/the-universe/sun/nasas-parker-solar-probe-phones-home-after-surviving-historic-close-sun-flyby)
10. [Source](https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/mcnamee-chosen-to-head-nasas-outer-planetssolar-probe-projects)
11. [Source](https://www.newscientist.com/article/1917097-called-to-account/)
12. [Source](https://www.digitaljournal.com/tech-science/solar-probe-plus-getting-up-close-and-personal-with-our-sun/article/486774)
13. [Source](https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20080032529/downloads/20080032529.pdf)
14. [Source](https://www.wired.co.uk/article/nasa-sun-mission-parker-solar-probe)
15. [Source](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/10/science/eugene-parker-solar-wind-nasa-probe.html)
16. [Source](http://parkersolarprobe.jhuapl.edu/Spacecraft/index.php#introduction)
17. [Parker Solar Probe](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=2018-065A)
18. [NASA on Twitter](https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1028585862056103936)
19. [Source](https://naif.jpl.nasa.gov/pub/naif/toolkit_docs/C/req/naif_ids.html)
20. [Parker Solar Probe](https://old.reddit.com/r/parkersolarprobe/)