Parker Solar Probe

The Parker Solar Probe is a NASA spacecraft designed to study the Sun's outer atmosphere, known as the corona. Launched on August 12, 2018, it is the first spacecraft to fly into the Sun’s atmosphere and approach its surface, which it accomplishes by entering a highly elliptical orbit that brings it closer to the Sun than any previous spacecraft. Its primary objectives include gathering data on solar winds, solar energetic particles, and the magnetic fields of the Sun. By doing so, it aims to deepen our understanding of solar dynamics and the fundamental processes that drive solar activity, which can impact space weather and have implications for satellite communications, power grids, and atmospheric studies on Earth. The mission is named after Dr. Eugene Parker, an astrophysicist who proposed the existence of the solar wind and has significantly advanced the field of solar research.