Slide 1
Parker studies the solar wind close to its source
Parker Solar Probe studies the particles and magnetic fields close to the Sun. The mission investigates how the solar wind is accelerated and the corona is heated.
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Measurements near Earth capture a flow that has already evolved during its journey. Sampling closer to the source helps separate processes near the Sun from changes that occur farther outward.
Slide 2
It entered the Sun’s corona in 2021
In 2021, Parker became the first spacecraft to fly through the solar corona. This region extends beyond the Sun’s visible surface.
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Crossing into the corona did not mean landing on a solid surface. The Sun is a plasma body, and the relevant boundary is defined by the behaviour of particles and magnetic fields.
Slide 3
High temperature does not alone determine spacecraft heating
The corona has a very high temperature but low particle density. A spacecraft’s heating depends on energy transfer, including intense sunlight, not temperature alone.
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A sparse gas can deliver less heat by particle collisions than a dense gas at the same temperature. This distinction helps explain why the probe can survive an environment described as millions of degrees.
Slide 4
The shield must stay correctly pointed toward the Sun
A heat shield keeps much of the spacecraft in shadow during close solar passes. Sensors and onboard control help maintain the required pointing.
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A shield cannot protect an instrument that is accidentally exposed outside its designed geometry. Thermal protection therefore includes navigation and control, not only a material that tolerates high temperature.
Slide 5
Venus assists reduced orbital energy for closer passes
Repeated Venus gravity assists reduced Parker’s orbital energy, enabling closer solar passes. Getting nearer required carefully changing an orbit around the Sun.
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A spacecraft launched from Earth already shares much of Earth’s sideways orbital motion. Removing enough of that motion is a major challenge for a close solar approach, despite the Sun’s strong gravity.