NASA's Parker Solar Probe smashes speed record, ventures closest to Sun
The Parker Solar Probe
NASA's Parker Solar Probe has achieved a remarkable feat, hurtling through the Solar System at an astonishing speed of 635,266 kilometres (394,736 miles) per hour.
This milestone was reached during the probe's 17th orbit around the Sun, as it collects crucial data about the Sun's charged particle winds and magnetic fields, according to Science Alert.
Notably, this speed surpasses its previous record of 586,863.4 kilometres(364,660 miles) per hour, achieved just three years ago.
Unprecedented velocity
To put this incredible velocity into perspective, it's equivalent to an aircraft circumnavigating the Earth approximately 15 times in one hour or travelling from New York to Los Angeles in just over 20 seconds.
In addition to its record-breaking speed, the Parker Solar Probe has achieved a record proximity to the Sun.
It ventured to a distance of just 7.26 million kilometresabove the Sun's scorching plasma surface. To visualise this, imagine standing a safe distance away from a blazing campfire – near enough to feel the heat and smell the smoke but not so close that your nose hairs singe.
Parker Solar Probe's incredible achievements are not solely the result of powerful propellants. Instead, they are the outcome of a meticulously timed cosmic mini-golf game. To reach its desired location near the Sun's corona, the probe had to navigate Earth's orbital velocity.
NASA employed a powerful rocket to align the probe's trajectory and set it on a course that would cancel out Earth's orbital speed.
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The probe's path was timed to coincide with the orbital position of Venus. This allowed the probe to useVenus's gravitational pull to slow down, facilitating its descent into the Solar System's inner regions.
As the Parker Solar Probe continues its mission, it is expected to complete a total of 24 orbits around the Sun. Ultimately, it will dive even closer, providing NASA with invaluable data to enhance our understanding of the Sun's behaviour.
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