In 2018 the parker solar probe was still under construction in a clean room near kennedy space center.
Parker solar probe pictures of the sun.
The spacecraft will get seven times closer to the sun than any probe ever has.
Previously solar probe solar probe plus or solar probe is a nasa robotic spacecraft launched in 2018 with the mission of making observations of the outer corona of the sun.
The spacecraft about the size of a small car will travel directly into the sun s atmosphere about 4 million miles from our star s surface.
It will approach to within 9 86 solar radii 6 9 million km or 4 3 million miles from the center of the sun and by 2025 will travel at closest approach as fast as 690 000 km h.
Parker solar probe will swoop to within 4 million miles of the sun s surface facing heat and radiation like no spacecraft before it.
See images of nasa s parker solar probe mission which the agency plans to launch in july 2018.
12 2018 parker solar probe will provide new data on solar activity and make critical contributions to our ability to forecast major space weather events that impact life on earth.
The parker solar probe abbreviated psp.
Since that fiery early morning liftoff with the mission s namesake eugene parker in attendance the probe has made.