Time: 2024-07-22
A fortified NASA spacecraft has reached nearly 400,000 mph again . The U.S. space agency recently announced its Parker Solar Probe matched its own speed record of 394,736 mph during its 20th close solar approach on June 29 . Objects often accrue speed when they pass by gravitationally - powerful objects , like the sun . And in the emptiness of space , little can stop this craft from continually going faster . " Once it 's going , it 's going , " Nour Raouafi , an astrophysicist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and project scientist for the mission , previously told Mashable.
Later this year , after the probe 's final Venus assist , the craft will reach a whopping 430,000 mph . At that speed , you could travel from San Francisco to Washington , D.C. , in 20 seconds . While traveling at such a blistering speed over 500 times the sound barrier , the NASA probe will come 3.8 million miles from the sun 's surface , breaking another record . Engineers built the Parker probe with a 4.5 - inch - thick carbon heat shield that 's pointed at the sun . The unprecedented endeavor into the sun 's atmosphere is n't just breaking records . Scientists plan to use the incoming observations to understand how extreme space weather can behave and ultimately impact Earth.
The Parker Solar Probe blasted off in 2018 on a mission to revolutionize our understanding of the sun . It is gradually making its way closer and closer to the sun , where it will gather measurements and images that researchers will use to deepen their knowledge of solar wind . The Parker Solar Probe made history in 2021 when it became the first spacecraft to fly through the sun 's outer atmosphere , called the corona . It also set a record for the fastest man - made object in the world after hitting a staggering 394,736 mph . Parker Solar Probe has been designed to withstand extreme conditions using cutting - edge thermal engineering advances . The spacecraft and its instruments are protected from the sun 's heat by an 11.43cm - thick carbon - composite shield , which can withstand temperatures reaching nearly 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit.
Scientists plan to use the data collected by the Parker Solar Probe to understand how extreme space weather can impact Earth . Our fickle star , for example , can eject masses of super hot gas at Earth , causing disruptions to power grids and communication networks . The mission aims to deepen our understanding of solar wind and how solar explosions can affect our planet . The probe 's historic journey and the groundbreaking technology used to protect it will provide valuable insights into the mysteries of the sun.
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