Quantcast

Parker Solar Probe completes historic close approach and sets new records

Qantas launches mammoth Asia flight sale including Bali and Japan
New Update from Air Canada, WestJet, American Airlines, Delta, United, Southwest, Alaska, JetBlue Airways, and Sunwing: Airline Capacity Between Canada and US Slashed as Bookings Plummet Seventy Per Cent
Delta Cuts Two Domestic Routes
United Airlines Technicians Reject ‘Dead on Arrival’ Contract Proposal, Teamsters Say
The State of the Asia Pacific Airline Industry
Spirit Airlines to add Detroit nonstop flight out of Bradley International Airport
Major airline to launch new direct flights from Scotland to North America
Ryanair launches new ‘prime’ membership which saves passengers more than £400 a year
Judge Orders Boeing to Trial on 737 MAX Case
Qantas’ free international Wi-Fi to switch on from next week
The real reason Southwest is charging for bags now
Air France-KLM in ongoing talks with Air Europa on potential stake, CEO says
Frontier Savagely Shades Southwest After They Eliminated Longstanding Free Bag Policy, Sparking Backlash
Frontier Wants You to 'Divorce Your Old Airline' After Southwest Changes
Delta named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies for sustainability initiatives
Passengers escape fiery American Airlines jet in Denver
Delta, American Dive On Slashed Outlooks; But Two Airlines Rally
Competitors are circling Southwest after the airline announced it's going to start charging for checked bags
Exclusive: Dominican Low-Cost Carrier Arajet Wants to Disrupt NYC Market
Boeing deliveries rise 63% in February from a year earlier
Transportation Secretary Duffy Lays Out 10 Ways the FAA Is Working to Upgrade Air Traffic Control and Make Flying Safer
EasyJet pilot Paul Elsworth suspended after flying too close to mountain
Delta Air Lines bets on ‘blended-wing’ flight to reduce emissions
Europe's airlines pivot to bite size M&A deals to limit cost, regulatory burden
Dave Emerson named new CEO of Virgin Australia, replacing Jayne Hrdlicka
Ryanair DELAYS controversial new boarding pass rule to avoid summer chaos
FAA Orders Inspection, Replacement of 737NG Engine Parts
Spirit Adds New Airport, Three Routes
Delta crash passengers should take the $30,000 payment, their lawyers say. Here’s why.
Budget airline launches new cheap flights to one of the UK’s top winter sun destinations
Parker Solar Probe completes historic close approach and sets new records
Policy
Webp 5r3vc2svdh8ibaxk8gr8iutw0za2
Simple Flying | Simple Flying

NASA's Parker Solar Probe has completed its closest-ever approach to the Sun, sending a beacon back to Earth indicating that it remains in good health. The probe is breaking its own record set on October 29, 2018, when it became the closest spacecraft to the Sun. Previously, Helios 2 held the record since 1976 by approaching within approximately 26.55 million miles of the Sun's surface.

The beacon from Parker Solar Probe was received on December 26 just before midnight EST. NASA's team had been out of contact with the probe during its closest approach on December 24. This mission aims to fly more than seven times closer to the Sun than any previous spacecraft.

NASA states that this mission will "revolutionize" understanding of the Sun by flying into its outer atmosphere and collecting data about solar wind and how energetic particles are accelerated near lightspeed. "NASA's Parker Solar Probe will revolutionize our understanding of the Sun," NASA stated. "The spacecraft is gradually orbiting closer to the Sun’s surface than any before it – well within the orbit of Mercury."

Get the Newsletter
Sign-up to receive weekly round up of news from Sky Industry News
By submitting, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By providing your phone number you are opting in and consenting to receive recurring SMS/MMS messages, including automated texts, to that number from our short code. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to end. SMS opt-in will not be sold, rented, or shared.

This ambitious seven-year mission sees Parker moving at a speed of 430,000 mph and having approached just 3.8 million miles from the Sun's surface. It is now considered Earth's fastest object ever built, utilizing gravity assists from Venus for its eccentric orbit.

Launched in August 2018 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on a Delta IV-Heavy booster, Parker Solar Probe's instruments are protected by a carbon-composite shield designed to withstand extreme temperatures up to nearly 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit.

BBC Sky at Night notes that eventually, once fuel runs out, controllers plan for Parker Solar Probe to expose itself fully to solar radiation, leading most parts except its heat shield to burn away but potentially leaving remnants in orbit around the Sun for billions of years.

Organizations Included in this History
More News

United Airlines has announced the issuance of travel waivers for passengers whose flights were affected by closures at London Heathrow Airport.

Apr 2, 2025

ITA Airways announced that flight AZ806 managed to land safely after a brief hold due to nearby missile activity.

Apr 2, 2025

EVA Air has announced the reinstatement of its Premium Economy Class on the Seattle route, with three weekly flights scheduled from March 8 through July 27.

Apr 2, 2025

Emirates Airlines has announced the launch of a new door-to-door delivery service called 'Very Important Parcels' (VIPs), promising the same level of care as provided to its passengers.

Apr 2, 2025

Cargolux has announced the transportation of two lions, Tsar and Jamil, from captivity in Ukraine to a wildlife sanctuary in South Africa.

Apr 2, 2025

Hainan Airlines announced that its Beijing–Oslo flight HU769 landed successfully in Norway.

Apr 2, 2025