Parker Solar Probe
Why in news?
NASA is going to launch Parker Solar Probeonboard of Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle in 2018 to explore the sun’s outer atmosphere.
What is Parker Solar Probe?
The name of the probe initially called the Solar Probe Plus has been renamed as the Parker Solar Probe in honour of astrophysicist Eugene Parker. This is the first time NASA has named a spacecraft after a living person.
The 10-feet high Parker Solar Probe will fly within 6.4 million km of the sun’s surface right into the solar atmosphere.
This will be NASA’s first mission to the sun and its outermost atmosphere corona. The mission is scheduled to end in June 2025.
Primary goals of mission: Trace how energy and heat move through solar corona. Explore what accelerates solar wind as well as solar energetic particles.
Why in news?
NASA is going to launch Parker Solar Probeonboard of Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle in 2018 to explore the sun’s outer atmosphere.
What is Parker Solar Probe?
The name of the probe initially called the Solar Probe Plus has been renamed as the Parker Solar Probe in honour of astrophysicist Eugene Parker. This is the first time NASA has named a spacecraft after a living person.
The 10-feet high Parker Solar Probe will fly within 6.4 million km of the sun’s surface right into the solar atmosphere.
This will be NASA’s first mission to the sun and its outermost atmosphere corona. The mission is scheduled to end in June 2025.
Primary goals of mission: Trace how energy and heat move through solar corona. Explore what accelerates solar wind as well as solar energetic particles.
