When we hear of space agencies like NASA, sending satellites to other heavenly bodies out there, we usually get to hear about a mission to some planets or moons of those planets or even asteroids.
But rarely do we get to hear of a satellite mission going near the Sun’s surface, and that is for obvious reasons. The Sun is so overwhelmingly hot that anything travelling too close to it would just melt and then vaporise.
There have been several missions that have launched satellites into some form of orbit around the Sun (at a safe distance) to study the various phenomena relating to it but for the first time, NASA is sending a satellite to the Sun’s corona i.e. its outer atmosphere.
At just 6.2 million kilometres from the photosphere (surface) of the Sun, this satellite will be the first man-made object to travel this close to the Sun.
The Parker Solar Probe
NASA is calling the satellite the Parker Solar Probe named after the physicist Eugene Parker. It is the first time that NASA is naming a spacecraft after a living person.
The launch is set to happen on August 4, 2018, on a Delta IV Heavy rocket, which will be the start of an almost 7 year mission, and as NASA states, it will be “humanity’s first mission to the Sun.”
So, first off, the satellite will be able to reach so close to the Sun because of its Thermal Protection System (TPS), which is 4.5 inches thick and is made of a reinforced carbon-carbon composite. This system helps the satellite withstand temperatures of upto 1,377 degree Celsius. The surface temperature in comparison, is 5,500 degree Celsius.
That heat shield will come in handy when the satellite will finally reach close proximity to the Sun in 2024. Before that, it is also scheduled to make 7 flybys of Venus.
The Mission
There are several goals of this mission and they are really important as they will give valuable insight into the various phenomena of the Sun and other stars. The knowledge gained will also come handy down here on Earth in many ways.
One of the main area of focus is solar winds. The satellite will allow us to understand how plasma near the Sun influences solar wind and also the flow of energy that accelerate them. It will also help us understand the magnetic forces right at the source of these solar winds.
Understanding solar winds is really important as they effect life on Earth and also the equipments we use including satellites, solar panels, astronauts, and a greater understanding could help us guard ourselves better against these charged particles.
To be able to do all of this, the probe is fitted with some really high-tech equipments on board, protected by the heat shield and powered by solar panels.