NASA’s Parker Solar Probe achieved a significant milestone on June 27, 2023, as it completed its 16th orbit around the Sun. During this orbit, the spacecraft approached the Sun closely, reaching a distance of 5.3 million miles from the solar surface on June 22, 2023, while traveling at a speed of 364,610 miles per hour. The probe successfully completed the solar flyby and continues to operate normally.
By completing its 16th science orbit, the Parker Solar Probe ventured within 5.3 million miles of the Sun during its perihelion on June 22, reaching a speed of 364,610 miles per hour.
The mission team will monitor the probe’s progress closely to determine if additional maneuvers are required in the coming months as the spacecraft prepares for its upcoming flyby. The next flyby, scheduled for August, will be the sixth out of seven planned flybys of Venus. By utilizing the gravitational pull of Venus, Parker Solar Probe will adjust its orbit around the Sun, bringing it even closer to the solar surface with a perihelion of 4.5 million miles.
“The performance of the burn was exceptional, positioning us favorably for our next Venus flyby,” stated APL’s Nick Pinkine, mission operations manager for the Parker Solar Probe. He further confirmed that the spacecraft emerged from the maneuver and flyby in good health, operating as expected.
Parker Solar Probe has already provided valuable insights into the origins of the solar wind and the magnetic activity within the Sun’s corona. Nour Raouafi, the project scientist at APL, expressed enthusiasm for the mission’s future discoveries as the probe gets closer to an increasingly active Sun.
On August 21, 2023, Parker Solar Probe will conduct its sixth flyby of Venus, following a trajectory correction maneuver on June 7, 2023. This adjustment marked the first course correction since March 2022 and aimed to ensure a smooth path for the spacecraft. These flybys of Venus are a crucial part of the mission, as they enable Parker Solar Probe to tighten its orbit around the Sun and approach a perihelion distance of just 4.5 million miles from the solar surface. This proximity to the Sun will provide valuable insights into heliophysics as the Sun’s activity intensifies.
Parker Solar Probe was developed under NASA’s Living With a Star program, which focuses on exploring the Sun-Earth system’s aspects that directly impact life and society. Managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington, the Living With a Star program oversees the mission. APL played a central role in designing, building, and operating the spacecraft, and is responsible for managing the mission on behalf of NASA.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Parker Solar Probe
What is the Parker Solar Probe?
The Parker Solar Probe is a spacecraft developed by NASA as part of the Living With a Star program. Its mission is to explore the Sun-Earth system and study the Sun’s activity and its effects on life and society.
How many orbits has the Parker Solar Probe completed?
As of June 27, 2023, the Parker Solar Probe has completed 16 orbits around the Sun.
How close did the Parker Solar Probe get to the Sun during its perihelion?
During its 16th orbit, the Parker Solar Probe came within 5.3 million miles of the solar surface during its perihelion on June 22, 2023.
What is the significance of the Venus flybys?
The Parker Solar Probe utilizes the gravitational pull of Venus during its flybys to tighten its orbit around the Sun. These flybys allow the spacecraft to approach even closer to the solar surface, providing valuable insights into heliophysics and the Sun’s increasing activity.
What has the Parker Solar Probe discovered so far?
The Parker Solar Probe has provided important knowledge about the source of the solar wind and magnetic activity within the Sun’s corona. It continues to gather data and offer insights into the Sun’s behavior as it gets closer to an increasingly active Sun.
Who manages the Parker Solar Probe mission?
The Parker Solar Probe mission is managed by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) on behalf of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. The Living With a Star program, overseen by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, focuses on managing the mission and exploring the Sun-Earth system.
More about Parker Solar Probe
- NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Mission
- Living With a Star Program
- Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL)
- Parker Solar Probe: Exploring the Sun’s Atmosphere
- NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
