NASA launches first ever solar probe to 'touch the sun'
- 6 years ago
NASA has successfully launched a historic and daring mission to the Sun to gather information about our closest star.
For more on this and other news around the world we turn to our Ro Aram…
Aram….what's the latest?
Well Mark…after a one-day delay, NASA's Parker Solar Probe successfully lifted off on Sunday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and is now on its way to the Sun.
A launch attempt the day before was foiled by a last-minute technical issue.
The rocket sets a number of records.
They include the quickest ever spacecraft, the highest velocity while leaving Earth and closest ever to reach the Sun.
The launch speed was clocked at 69,000 kilometers per hour and it is expected to top out at more than ten times that speed while in space due to the Sun's gravitational pull.
The probe's seven-year mission will bring it to within 3.8 million miles of the solar surface, which sounds like a lot, but it's seven times closer than any previous spacecraft.
It has been designed with shields to help it endure the intense heat and solar radiation.
Among its many purposes the Parker Solar Probe will try to answer two key questions surrounding the Sun.
The first is why the corona - the outer surface of the sun - is much hotter than the Sun's surface.
The second is how does a solar wind start?
Solar wind is a continuous flow of charged particles that permeates the solar system and can cause havoc with communications technology on Earth.
For more on this and other news around the world we turn to our Ro Aram…
Aram….what's the latest?
Well Mark…after a one-day delay, NASA's Parker Solar Probe successfully lifted off on Sunday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and is now on its way to the Sun.
A launch attempt the day before was foiled by a last-minute technical issue.
The rocket sets a number of records.
They include the quickest ever spacecraft, the highest velocity while leaving Earth and closest ever to reach the Sun.
The launch speed was clocked at 69,000 kilometers per hour and it is expected to top out at more than ten times that speed while in space due to the Sun's gravitational pull.
The probe's seven-year mission will bring it to within 3.8 million miles of the solar surface, which sounds like a lot, but it's seven times closer than any previous spacecraft.
It has been designed with shields to help it endure the intense heat and solar radiation.
Among its many purposes the Parker Solar Probe will try to answer two key questions surrounding the Sun.
The first is why the corona - the outer surface of the sun - is much hotter than the Sun's surface.
The second is how does a solar wind start?
Solar wind is a continuous flow of charged particles that permeates the solar system and can cause havoc with communications technology on Earth.