NASA Probe Makes Record-Setting Solar Fly-by

Facts

• Over five years after its launch, NASA's Parker Solar Probe marked the closest-ever approach to the sun, coming within only 3.8M (6.1M km) of the solar surface. Setting off in August 2018, the spacecraft achieved this milestone at 1153 GMT on Christmas Eve.^[1][2]
• The probe also marks the fastest velocity achieved for a human-made object at 430K mph (692K km/hr). It will return "data from uncharted territory," said Nick Pinkine, mission operations manager at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.^[3][4]
• The Parker Solar Probe is now reportedly out of contact and its operators won't be able to confirm its well-being until Friday. It's on a seven-year mission to deepen our understanding of the sun and to help forecast solar events.^[5][6]
• The probe is designed to fly into the Sun's corona, or outer atmosphere, where many solar storms are kicked up. NASA reported that Parker will endure temperatures of up to 982 °C (1.8K °F).^[7][8]
• While the temperature on the sun's surface is estimated at 6K °C, heat in its atmosphere reaches millions of degrees, and scientists hope that Parker, which has carried out 21 solar flybys — or "perihelions" — since 2018, will help explain why.^[9][10]
• The probe has reportedly weathered several major solar plasma blowups, and the research team hopes to witness turbulent conditions that could provide information about the solar wind and sun's corona. Its next flyby is set for March 22, 2025.^[1][10]

Sources: ^[1]Space, ^[2]Livescience, ^[3]Daily Mail, ^[4]BBC Sky at Night Magazine, ^[5]Daily Sabah, ^[6]PHYS, ^[7]Mashable, ^[8]Al Jazeera, ^[9]The Telegraph and ^[10]The New York Times.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Asianet Newsable. On Christmas Eve, NASA's Parker Solar Probe gave humanity its closest encounter with our star. The unprecedented milestone, diving within 3.8M miles of the Sun's surface — a mere whisper by cosmic standards — exemplifies resilience and the relentless quest to illuminate the secrets of our solar system. Enduring searing temperatures, it ventured into the Sun's corona — illuminating a mystery scientists have pursued for centuries.
• Narrative B, as provided by Medium and The Perennial. NASA's relentless pursuit of cosmic milestones, like the Parker Solar Probe's perilous journey to the sun, raises questions about its purpose. Despite technical marvels and solar insights, such projects often seem detached from practical impact. Stunning achievements aside, the staggering costs and energy devoted appear disproportionate to their tangible benefits, shedding light on the true utility of these ventures. This is a dazzling yet arguably unnecessary display of human ingenuity.