The Parker Solar Probe has completed its second orbit around the Sun

Parker Solar Probe has successfully completed its second lap around our star. At the beginning of April, the spacecraft approached 24 million kilometers from the Sun’s surface and is currently in the phase of exiting its second orbit.

Teamohe mission manager of the Parker Solar Probe from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory monitored the state of the probe during perihelion, the point in the probe’s orbit at which theorym was closest to the Sun. This is a critical phase of the flight. Mission controllers received a signal showing the status of the „A”, which means the spacecraft is working well and all instruments are collecting scientific data.

During the second orbit of the Sun Parker Solar Probe broke outown a record 24 million kilometer approach to a staroin, established during the first orbit. The previous record was set by the Helios 2 probe in 1976 and was about 43 million kilometersow.

During perihelion, the Parker Solar Probe reached a speed of 343,000 km / h. During its first perihelion, it reached a speed of 340,000 km/h. This is the fastest craft built by human hand. The previous record belonged to roAlso to the German-American Helios 2 probe, whichora in 1976 reached 246,000 kilometersow per hour. But if everything pojd according to plan, the probe will repeatedly break its own records.

At the culmination of the mission, whichora is due in 2024, the probe will approach the Sun at just 6 millionoin kilometerow. It will be inoAt the time, it was speeding at about 700,000 km/h.

– The spacecraft is operating as designed and it was great to follow it throughout perihelion, said Nickalaus Pinkine, Parker Solar Probe mission management team leader. – We look forward to the scientific data from this meeting, whichore coming in the coming weeks. This will allow scientists to study the mysteries of the solar corona and the Sun itself – added by.

Parker Solar Probe is expected to make 24 close approaches to our star during its seven-year mission. The next, the third perihelion, will take place on September 1. Next, Parker Solar Probe will take advantage of Venus’ gravity to change its path slightly. This means that the following perihelia maneuver will be even closer to the Sun’s surface.

The probe was launched into space last August 11 from Cape Canaveral aboard a ULA Delta IV Heavy rocket. Its task is to study the outer layers of the Sun’s atmosphere. Scientists hope to better understand the physical phenomena occurring around theoł stars. They also want to explain the heating mechanisms of the solar corona, ktora has a temperature of more than dwoch millionoin st. Celsius, while the surface of the star less than six thousand st. Celsius.

Researchers want to roalso learn about the detailedoły regarding the solar wind – plasma stream consisting of protonow, the electronow and alpha particles. Scientists don’t know how solar wind ions are accelerated. With this knowledge, it will be possible to forecast the Sun’s activity more accurately, and thus better predict the „space weather”, ktora affects the smooth operation of satellitesoin or safety flightoin cosmic rays, and in drastic cases could have dire consequences for our civilization.