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Parker Solar Probe Mission Turns a Terrific Two
Posted on 08/12/2020 10:52:36Perched atop a powerful Delta IV Heavy rocket, NASA's Parker Solar Probe roared into the predawn skies over Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Aug. 12, 2018. The durable spacecraft, built and operated at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, has already set speed and solar-distance records, and continues on its journey to unlock the mysteries of our star.
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Spies Newly-Discovered Comet NEOWISE
Posted on 07/10/2020 16:43:03NASA’s Parker Solar Probe was at the right place at the right time to capture a unique view of comet NEOWISE on July 5, 2020. Parker Solar Probe’s position in space gave the spacecraft an unmatched view of the comet’s twin tails when it was particularly active just after its closest approach to the Sun, called perihelion.
Parker Solar Probe Prepares for Third Venus Flyby
Posted on 07/10/2020 12:05:00Coming off its fifth encounter with the Sun — and the mission’s longest observation campaign yet — Parker Solar Probe is now headed toward Venus. Early on July 11, 2020 (UTC), the spacecraft will perform its first outbound flyby of Venus, passing approximately 516 miles above the surface as it curves around the planet.
Parker Solar Probe Teams Up With Observatories Around Solar System for 4th Solar Encounter
Posted on 06/16/2020 10:34:10At the heart of understanding our space environment is the knowledge that conditions throughout space — from the Sun to the atmospheres of planets to the radiation environment in deep space — are connected.Studying this connection – a field of science called heliophysics — is a complex task: Researchers track sudden eruptions of material, radiation, and particles against the background of the ubiquitous outflow of solar material.A confluence of events in early 2020 created a nearly ideal space-based laboratory, combining the alignment of some of humanity's best observatories — including Parker Solar Probe, during its fourth solar flyby — with a quiet period in the Sun's activity, when it's easiest to study those background conditions.
Parker Solar Probe Signals Successful Fifth Encounter of the Sun
Posted on 06/09/2020 17:20:32On June 9, 2020, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe signaled the success of its fifth close pass by the Sun, called perihelion, with a radio beacon tone. The spacecraft completed the fifth perihelion of its mission two days prior, flying within 11.6 million miles from the Sun's surface, reaching a top speed of about 244,225 miles per hour, which matches the spacecraft’s own records for closest human-made object to the Sun and fastest human-made object, set during its fourth orbit on January 29.
Parker Solar Probe Begins Longest Science Observation Campaign
Posted on 05/12/2020 14:29:04On May 9, 2020, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe began its longest observation campaign to date. The spacecraft, which has already completed four progressively closer orbits around the Sun, activated its instruments at a distance of 62.5 million miles from the Sun’s surface, some 39 million miles farther from the Sun than a typical solar encounter.
Data from Parker Solar Probe's Third Orbit Now Available to the Public
Posted on 04/15/2020 11:03:21NASA’s Parker Solar Probe team released a second collection of science data to the public on April 14, 2020. The release includes science data from all four of Parker Solar Probe's instrument suites, spanning the mission’s third orbit around the Sun, which began on June 18, 2019 and completed on November 15, 2019.
New Wave of Parker Solar Probe Science Published
Posted on 02/05/2020 11:01:38Researchers using Parker Solar Probe data released a new wave of research papers in a special supplement of The Astrophysical Journal on Feb. 3, 2020. The supplement, titled Early Results from Parker Solar Probe: Ushering a New Frontier in Space Exploration, includes some 47 papers with new findings based on the mission's first three solar flybys.
Parker Solar Probe Reports Successful Record-Setting Fourth Close Encounter of the Sun
Posted on 02/01/2020 08:15:00NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is healthy and operating as designed following its fourth close approach to the Sun, called perihelion, on Jan. 29. Mission controllers at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, received a “status A” beacon from the spacecraft at 5:20 a.m.
Eugene Parker Awarded 2020 Crafoord Prize in Astronomy
Posted on 01/30/2020 11:18:55University of Chicago professor emeritus Eugene Parker, for whom Parker Solar Probe is named, has been awarded the 2020 Crafoord Prize in Astronomy “for pioneering and fundamental studies of the solar wind and magnetic fields from stellar to galactic scales."The Crafoord Prize is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in partnership with the Crafoord Foundation in Lund, Sweden."I am humbled by the award of the Crafoord Prize,” said Parker, now 92.
Parker Solar Probe Completes Fourth Closest Approach, Breaks New Speed and Distance Records
Posted on 01/29/2020 10:47:20At 4:37 a.m. EST on Jan. 29, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe broke speed and distance records as it completed its fourth close approach of the Sun. The spacecraft traveled 11.6 million miles from the Sun’s surface at perihelion, reaching a speed of 244,225 miles per hour.
Parker Solar Probe Prepares for New Science, New Records on Fourth Solar Orbit
Posted on 01/23/2020 11:00:40NASA’s Parker Solar Probe began its fourth solar encounter today at 9:00 am EST, at a distance of about 23.3 million miles from the Sun’s surface. It will reach perihelion, its closest distance to our star, during this orbit on Jan.
Parker Solar Probe Team Hears First Whispers of the Solar Wind’s Birth
Posted on 01/14/2020 10:28:38There’s a wind that emanates from the Sun, and it blows not like a soft whistle, but like a hurricane’s scream. Made of electrons, protons and heavier ions, the solar wind courses through the solar system at roughly 1 million mph (1.6 million kph), barreling over everything in its path.
Helene Winters Named Parker Solar Probe Project Manager
Posted on 01/08/2020 13:33:23The Parker Solar Probe mission has named Helene Winters of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory as project manager, effective January 6, 2020. Winters assumes this role from Patrick Hill of APL, who has moved into a new leadership position in the Laboratory’s Civil Space Mission Area.
Parker Solar Probe Completes Second Venus Flyby
Posted on 12/26/2019 14:43:45On Dec. 26, Parker Solar Probe successfully completed its second flyby of Venus. The spacecraft used Venus to slow itself down, approaching the planet at a distance of about 1,870 miles from Venus's surface during the second gravity assist of the mission.
Parker Solar Probe Heads Toward Second Venus Flyby
Posted on 12/23/2019 14:25:49After nearly 17 months in space culminating with the release of new science data, Parker Solar Probe is right on course for its second Venus gravity assist maneuver. This flyby will set the spacecraft up for its fourth perihelion of the Sun, during which it will set records for spacecraft speed and closest solar distance, while continuing to gather groundbreaking data from within the Sun's corona to help scientists make new discoveries. On Dec.
Revealing the Physics of the Sun with Parker Solar Probe: AGU 2019
Posted on 12/11/2019 13:01:48Nearly a year and a half into its mission, Parker Solar Probe has returned gigabytes of data on the Sun and its atmosphere. Following the release of the very first science from the mission, five researchers presented additional new findings from Parker Solar Probe at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union on Dec.
NASA Science Live: New Discoveries from Our Mission to Touch the Sun
Posted on 12/05/2019 10:46:31What mysteries about our star is NASA’s Parker Solar Probe mission uncovering as it journeys closer to the Sun than any human-made object ever before? Watch this episode of NASAScience Live as experts discuss some of the first discoveries made by the spacecraft.
Parker Solar Probe Sheds New Light on the Sun
Posted on 12/04/2019 12:00:00In August 2018, NASA's Parker Solar Probe launched to space, soon becoming the closest-ever spacecraft to the Sun. With cutting-edge scientific instruments to measure the environment around the spacecraft, Parker Solar Probe – designed, built, and managed for NASA by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory – has completed three of 24 planned passes through never-before-explored parts of the Sun's atmosphere, the corona.
NASA to Present First Findings of Solar Mission in Dec. 4 Media Teleconference
Posted on 12/02/2019 16:37:31NASA will announce the first results from the Parker Solar Probe mission, the agency's revolutionary mission to "touch" the Sun, during a media teleconference at 1:30 p.m. EST Wednesday, Dec.
Parker Solar Probe Team Awarded NASA Silver Achievement Medal
Posted on 11/13/2019 14:58:56Parker Solar Probe has been awarded the NASA Silver Achievement Medal in recognition of its “stellar achievement” as humanity’s first mission to explore the Sun’s corona and the solar wind within the extreme environment around our star.The medal is awarded to government and non-government individuals or teams by NASA center directors “when it is deemed to be extraordinarily important and appropriate to recognize such achievement.” The medal was announced earlier this year at the NASA 2019 Agency Honor Awards at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.During a Nov.
Johns Hopkins APL’s Andy Driesman Awarded by NASA for Parker Solar Probe Leadership
Posted on 11/13/2019 13:43:43It takes a lot of teamwork, skill, and expertise to get any space mission off the ground—particularly humanity’s first-ever spacecraft built to fly through the Sun’s atmosphere.
First Parker Solar Probe Science Data Released to Public
Posted on 11/12/2019 12:08:05On Nov. 12, 2019, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe team released scientific data collected during the spacecraft's first two solar orbits to the general public. Data can be accessed through the NASA Space Physics Data Facility, the Solar Data Analysis Center, the APL Parker Solar Probe Gateway, and the Science Operation Centers of the four science investigation teams (the University of California, Berkeley; Princeton University; Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics; and Naval Research Laboratory.) The newly released data, in the form of data files and graphical displays, is available for interested public users to manipulate, analyze, and plot in any way they choose.
Parker Solar Probe Completes Third Close Approach of the Sun
Posted on 09/03/2019 10:32:43At just before 1:50 pm EDT on Sept. 1, 2019, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe completed its third close approach (or perihelion) of the Sun. At the time of perihelion, the spacecraft was about 15 million miles from the Sun’s surface, traveling at more than 213,200 miles per hour.
Parker Solar Probe Gets Extra Observation Time
Posted on 08/16/2019 15:38:25After Parker Solar Probe’s successful first year in space, the mission team has decided to extend science observations as the spacecraft approaches its third solar encounter. Parker Solar Probe turned on its four instrument suites on Aug.
One Year, Two Trips Around the Sun for Parker Solar Probe
Posted on 08/12/2019 10:35:36Since NASA's Parker Solar Probe launched on Aug. 12, 2018, Earth has made a single trip around the Sun — while the daring solar explorer is well into its third orbit around our star.
Parker Solar Probe Completes Download of Science Data from First Two Solar Encounters
Posted on 08/01/2019 11:32:38As NASA’s Parker Solar Probe approaches its third encounter with the Sun, mission scientists are hard at work poring over data from the spacecraft's first two flybys of our star — and thanks to excellent performance by the spacecraft and the mission operations team, they're about to get something extra.
University of Michigan: Solving the Sun’s Super-Heating Mystery with Parker Solar Probe
Posted on 06/06/2019 12:11:31It’s one of the greatest and longest-running mysteries surrounding, quite literally, our sun—why is its outer atmosphere hotter than its fiery surface? University of Michigan researchers believe they have the answer, and hope to prove it with help from NASA’s Parker Solar Probe.
Parker Solar Probe Completes Second Close Approach to the Sun
Posted on 04/05/2019 10:31:36Parker Solar Probe has successfully completed its second close approach to the Sun, called perihelion, and is now entering the outbound phase of its second solar orbit. At 6:40 p.m.
Patrick Hill Assumes Role as Parker Solar Probe Project Manager
Posted on 04/01/2019 16:22:13Patrick Hill of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) has been named the Parker Solar Probe project manager effective April 1, 2019. In this new role, he will be responsible for overall mission success and execution, including the collection and analysis of science data, sustained flight spacecraft engineering, and mission operations.
Parker Solar Probe Approaches Second Solar Encounter
Posted on 03/28/2019 13:19:31On March 30, 2019, Parker Solar Probe begins the second solar encounter phase of its mission, culminating in its closest approach to the Sun, called perihelion, on April 4. During this solar encounter phase, which lasts until April 10, the spacecraft's four suites of science instruments are fully operational and storing science data collected from within the Sun's corona.
Parker Solar Probe Wins AAS 2018 Neil Armstrong Space Flight Achievement Award
Posted on 03/21/2019 14:05:38The Parker Solar Probe team has been named the winner of the 2018 Neil Armstrong Space Flight Achievement Award, given by the American Astronautical Society at its 57th Robert H. Goddard Memorial Symposium in Silver Spring, Maryland.
All Systems Go As Parker Solar Probe Begins Second Sun Orbit
Posted on 01/22/2019 09:15:00On Jan. 19, 2019, just 161 days after its launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe completed its first orbit of the Sun, reaching the point in its orbit farthest from our star, called aphelion.
Life of a Part: Parker Solar Probe
Posted on 01/22/2019 09:04:10As NASA’s Parker Solar Probe begins the second of 24 planned orbits—on track for its second perihelion, or closest approach to the Sun, on April 4, 2019—take a look back to how the spacecraft was built at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland.
Preparing for Discovery With NASA's Parker Solar Probe
Posted on 12/13/2018 09:09:26Weeks after Parker Solar Probe made the closest-ever approach to a star, the science data from the first solar encounter is just making its way into the hands of the mission's scientists.
Parker Solar Probe Named Popular Science’s 2018 Innovation of the Year
Posted on 11/28/2018 15:00:58NASA’s Parker Solar Probe – humanity’s first mission to “touch” the Sun – was today named the innovation of the year by Popular Science. The revolutionary spacecraft – designed, built, and operated for NASA by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland – launched on August 12, 2018.
Parker Solar Probe Reports First Telemetry, Acquisition of Science Data Since Perihelion
Posted on 11/20/2018 11:00:31On Nov. 16, Parker Solar Probe reported that all systems are operating well in the first detailed performance and health update sent to Earth by the spacecraft since its first solar encounter.
Parker Solar Probe Reports Good Status After Close Solar Approach
Posted on 11/07/2018 17:13:45Parker Solar Probe is alive and well after skimming by the Sun at just 15 million miles from our star's surface. This is far closer than any spacecraft has ever gone — the previous record was set by Helios B in 1976 and broken by Parker on Oct.
First Perihelion: Into the Unknown
Posted on 11/02/2018 13:03:12At about 10:28 p.m. EST on Nov. 5, Parker Solar Probe will achieve its first perihelion - its first close approach to the Sun - and will come within 15 million miles of the Sun's surface.
Parker Solar Probe Starts First Solar Encounter
Posted on 10/31/2018 13:32:08On Oct. 31, 2018, Parker Solar Probe began its first of 24 solar encounters. This period — which lasts until Nov. 11 — is the time during which the spacecraft is within 0.25 astronomical units, or 23.2 million miles, of the Sun's center.
Parker Solar Probe Becomes Fastest-Ever Spacecraft
Posted on 10/30/2018 05:56:58At about 10:54 p.m. EDT on Oct. 29, Parker Solar Probe surpassed 153,454 miles per hour — as calculated by the mission team — making it the fastest-ever human-made object relative to the Sun.
Parker Solar Probe Breaks Record, Becomes Closest Spacecraft to Sun
Posted on 10/29/2018 13:06:31Parker Solar Probe now holds the record for closest approach to the Sun by a human-made object. The spacecraft passed the current record of 26.55 million miles from the Sun's surface on Oct.
Parker Solar Probe Looks Back at Home
Posted on 10/24/2018 13:30:20On Sept. 25, 2018, Parker Solar Probe captured a view of Earth as it sped toward the first Venus gravity assist of the mission. Earth is the bright, round object visible in the right side of the image.
In First for a Spacecraft, Parker Solar Probe Autonomously Manages Heat Load on Solar Arrays
Posted on 10/17/2018 11:06:59Two days after NASA’s Parker Solar Probe flew past Venus toward its rendezvous with the Sun, the spacecraft had drawn close enough to our star that its power-generating solar array wings began to tilt themselves inward – a task directed by the spacecraft itself, based on the rising temperatures – away from the Sun and behind the sun shield.
How A Change in Mission Design Unlocked the Journey to the Sun
Posted on 10/04/2018 12:33:27On Oct. 3, 2018, Parker Solar Probe performed the first significant celestial maneuver of its seven-year mission. As the orbits of the spacecraft and Venus converged toward the same point, Parker Solar Probe slipped in front of the planet, allowing Venus' gravity — relatively small by celestial standards — to twist its path and change its speed.
Parker Solar Probe Successfully Performs Venus Flyby
Posted on 10/03/2018 11:17:21On Oct. 3, Parker Solar Probe successfully completed its flyby of Venus at a distance of about 1,500 miles during the first Venus gravity assist of the mission. These gravity assists will help the spacecraft tighten its orbit closer and closer to the Sun over the course of the mission.Detailed data from the flyby will be assessed over the next few days.
Fall 2018 Milestones for Parker Solar Probe
Posted on 10/02/2018 10:15:50We like to call Parker Solar Probe the coolest, hottest, fastest mission under the Sun — and fall 2018 will prove why. Here are a few mission milestones to look forward to over the coming months.
Parker Solar Probe Begins Mission on Rocket Dedicated to APL's Andy Dantzler
Posted on 09/26/2018 11:37:53As Parker Solar Probe – named for pioneering solar scientist Eugene Parker – rose from Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station into the skies above Florida in the early morning hours of Aug.
Illuminating First Light Data from Parker Solar Probe
Posted on 09/19/2018 12:19:52Just over a month into its mission, Parker Solar Probe has returned first-light data from each of its four instrument suites. These early observations – while not yet examples of the key science observations Parker Solar Probe will take closer to the Sun – show that each of the instruments is working well.
Parker Solar Probe’s Solar Array Cooling System Fully Activated
Posted on 09/14/2018 15:02:34On Sept. 13, Parker Solar Probe's first-of-its-kind water-cooled Solar Array Cooling System (or SACS) was made fully operational. The SACS will protect Parker Solar Probe’s solar arrays — responsible for powering the spacecraft — from the intense heat of the Sun.
360 Video: Parker Solar Probe Launch
Posted on 09/07/2018 08:18:17Watch in 360 degrees as Parker Solar Probe launches aboard a Delta IV Heavy rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The spacecraft lifted off at 3:31 a.m.
Where's Parker Solar Probe? Track the Spacecraft!
Posted on 09/06/2018 13:23:18You can now track the position and speed of Parker Solar Probe on the web: http://parkersolarprobe.jhuapl.edu/The-Mission/index.php#Where-Is-PSP The plots showing the spacecraft’s heliocentric velocity, distances from the Sun and Earth, and round-trip light time to Earth update every hour.
Parker Solar Probe Continues Successful Commissioning Operations
Posted on 09/05/2018 10:35:32Parker Solar Probe continues to bring its instruments and secondary systems online — slightly ahead of schedule — as it speeds away from Earth. On Friday, Aug. 31, flight controllers at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland performed a second planned Trajectory Correction Maneuver (TCM-2), a thruster burn which lasted for 35.2 seconds.
After Near-Perfect Trajectory Maneuver, Parker Solar Probe On Course To Touch The Sun
Posted on 08/21/2018 10:15:14At 6:07 a.m. EDT on Aug. 20, 2018, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe successfully completed its first trajectory correction maneuver (known as TCM-1), achieving a near-perfect firing of its propulsion system and putting the spacecraft on course to “touch” the Sun.
Parker Solar Probe Marks First Mission Milestones on Voyage to Sun
Posted on 08/17/2018 10:40:23Just two days after launch on Aug. 12, 2018, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe achieved several planned milestones toward full commissioning and operations, announced mission controllers at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, or APL, in Laurel, Maryland.
Parker Solar Probe Launches on Historic Journey to Touch the Sun
Posted on 08/12/2018 05:57:17Hours before the rise of the very star it will study, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe launched from Florida Sunday, Aug. 12 to begin its journey to the Sun, where it will undertake a landmark mission.
Launch Scrubbed; Next Attempt Aug. 12 at 3:31 a.m. ET
Posted on 08/11/2018 06:07:36The launch of a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy carrying the Parker Solar Probe spacecraft was scrubbed today due to a violation of a launch limit, resulting in a hold. There was not enough time remaining in the window to recycle.
Parker Solar Probe Launch Now Targeted For 3:53 a.m., Aug. 11
Posted on 08/11/2018 02:06:47The launch team is targeting 3:53 a.m. EDT for liftoff of the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket carrying NASA's Parker Solar Probe. The countdown is in progress at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 37.
Countdown to Launch: Parker Solar Probe's Path To Launch Pad
Posted on 08/09/2018 20:50:34NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, secured inside its payload fairing, was moved July 30, 2018, from nearby Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Florida, to Space Launch Complex 37 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
Launch Week Begins for Parker Solar Probe
Posted on 08/08/2018 05:56:29Teams preparing for launch of NASA’s Parker Solar Probe are beginning a busy week leading up to liftoff, scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 11, at 3:33 a.m. EDT, the opening of a 65-minute window.
Parker Solar Probe Launch Window Extended to August 23
Posted on 08/02/2018 14:42:26NASA and its mission partners have analyzed and approved an extended launch window for Parker Solar Probe until Aug. 23, 2018 (previously Aug. 19). The spacecraft is scheduled to launch no earlier than Aug.
Parker Solar Probe Prepares to Head Toward Launch Pad
Posted on 07/31/2018 11:31:00NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has cleared the final procedures in the clean room before its move to the launch pad, where it will be integrated onto its launch vehicle, a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy.
New NASA Rocket Ranch Podcast on Parker Solar Probe
Posted on 07/27/2018 10:51:12Even though our Sun shines bright in the sky, it is shrouded in mystery. In this episode of NASA's Rocket Ranch podcast, we hear from Parker Solar Probe project scientist Nicky Fox, who explains how the mission will fly inside the Sun's atmosphere in order to unlock its many secrets.
Parker Solar Probe Instruments: IS☉IS
Posted on 07/25/2018 09:01:30Take a tour of the Integrated Science Investigation of the Sun—IS☉IS, pronounced ee-sis and including the symbol for the Sun in its acronym—on board Parker Solar Probe with Principal Investigator David McComas.
New Launch Date for Parker Solar Probe: Aug. 11, 2018
Posted on 07/24/2018 16:26:37NASA and its mission partners are targeting Aug. 11 for the launch of the Parker Solar Probe mission to the Sun. The 45-minute launch window will open at 3:48 a.m. EDT. During final inspections following the encapsulation of the spacecraft, a small strip of foam was found inside the fairing and additional time is needed for inspection.
July 20 Preview Briefing of Parker Solar Probe Mission
Posted on 07/20/2018 08:44:33NASA will hold a preview briefing on the agency’s Parker Solar Probe at 1 p.m. EDT Friday, July 20. The event will air live on NASA Television, the agency’s website and Facebook Live.
Parker Solar Probe Launch No Earlier Than August 6
Posted on 07/18/2018 17:00:38NASA now is targeting launch of the Parker Solar Probe no earlier than Aug. 6, 2018. Additional time was needed to evaluate the configuration of a cable clamp on the payload fairing.
Cutting-Edge Heat Shield Installed on NASA’s Parker Solar Probe
Posted on 07/05/2018 12:44:33The launch of Parker Solar Probe, the mission that will get closer to the Sun than any human-made object has ever gone, is quickly approaching, and on June 27, 2018, Parker Solar Probe’s heat shield — called the Thermal Protection System, or TPS — was installed on the spacecraft.
New Launch Readiness Date for Parker Solar Probe: August 4, 2018
Posted on 06/15/2018 15:21:37NASA and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory are now targeting launch of the agency’s Parker Solar Probe spacecraft no earlier than Aug. 4, 2018. Originally scheduled to launch on July 31, additional time is needed to accommodate further software testing of spacecraft systems.
Power Up: Solar Arrays Installed on NASA’s Mission to Touch the Sun
Posted on 06/06/2018 15:15:31NASA’s Parker Solar Probe depends on the Sun, not just as an object of scientific investigation, but also for the power that drives its instruments and systems. On Thursday, May 31, 2018, the spacecraft’s solar arrays were installed and tested.
More than 1.1 Million Names Installed on NASA’s Parker Solar Probe
Posted on 05/21/2018 11:15:59Throughout its seven-year mission, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe will swoop through the Sun’s atmosphere 24 times, getting closer to our star than any spacecraft has gone before. The spacecraft will carry more than scientific instruments on this historic journey – it will also hold more than 1.1 million names submitted by the public to go to the Sun.
Solar Power: Parker Solar Probe Tests Its Arrays
Posted on 05/07/2018 12:03:00NASA’s Parker Solar Probe gets its power from the Sun, so the solar arrays that collect energy from our star need to be in perfect working order. This month, members of the mission team tested the arrays at Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Florida, to ensure the system performs as designed and provides power to the spacecraft during its historic mission to the Sun.
More Than 1.1 Million Names Will Head to the Sun with Parker Solar Probe
Posted on 04/28/2018 15:43:26NASA’s Parker Solar Probe will carry 1,137,202 submitted and confirmed names on its journey to the Sun. Submissions opened on March 6, 2018, and closed on April 27 at 11:59 p.m. EDT.
Safe in the Shadow: Making Sure Solar Probe's Instruments Keep Cool
Posted on 04/27/2018 14:00:57NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is moved to a special stand and rotated down to a horizontal position on April 10 during pre-launch processing and testing at Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Florida, just outside Kennedy Space Center.
Parker Solar Probe’s Launch Vehicle Rises at Space Launch Complex 37
Posted on 04/26/2018 14:16:13On the morning of Tuesday, April 17, 2018, crews from United Launch Alliance raised the 170-foot tall Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle – the largest and most powerful rocket currently used by NASA – at Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
Heat Shield Arrives in Florida
Posted on 04/24/2018 14:22:33The Thermal Protection System — also known as the heat shield — for NASA’s Parker Solar Probe arrived in Titusville, Florida, on April 18, 2018, bringing it one step closer to reuniting with the spacecraft that will be the first to “touch” the Sun.
NASA’s Mission to Touch the Sun Arrives in the Sunshine State
Posted on 04/06/2018 09:30:18NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has arrived in Florida to begin final preparations for its launch to the Sun, scheduled for July 31, 2018. In the middle of the night on April 2, the spacecraft was driven from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, to nearby Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
Parker Solar Probe Completes Space Environment Testing
Posted on 03/26/2018 15:35:00Parker Solar Probe has completed its space environment testing at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and was lifted out of the thermal vacuum chamber on March 24, 2018, after just over two months inside.
Send Your Name to the Sun Aboard NASA's Parker Solar Probe
Posted on 03/06/2018 12:30:07Want to get the hottest ticket this summer without standing in line?NASA is inviting people around the world to submit their names online to be placed on a microchip aboard NASA’s historic Parker Solar Probe mission launching in summer 2018.
Parker Solar Probe Begins Space Environment Testing
Posted on 01/30/2018 15:03:17On Saturday, Jan. 27, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe began space environment testing, starting with the air being pumped out of the 40-foot-tall thermal vacuum chamber at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland where the spacecraft is currently housed.
Simulated Space: Parker Solar Probe Enters Thermal Vacuum Testing
Posted on 01/17/2018 17:30:25On Wednesday, Jan. 17, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe was lowered into the 40-foot-tall thermal vacuum chamber at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The spacecraft will remain in the chamber for about seven weeks, coming out in mid-March for final tests and packing before heading to Florida.
Coordinated Science: Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter (AGU 2017 Fall Meeting Presentation)
Posted on 12/28/2017 10:57:21Watch this presentation on how NASA’s Parker Solar Probe and ESA’s Solar Orbiter missions will study the Sun separately and combine their science findings to give us an unprecedented understanding of our star.
Moving Day: Parker Solar Probe Travels from APL to NASA Goddard
Posted on 12/19/2017 10:31:51How do you prepare to move the first spacecraft to touch the Sun? Same way you would move anything else: carefully wrap it, pack it in a large container, and perform a nitrogen purge.
Parker Solar Probe's Heat Shield Enters Thermal Vacuum Testing
Posted on 12/15/2017 10:08:17To protect NASA's Parker Solar Probe from the intense heat of the Sun's atmosphere, scientists and engineers developed a revolutionary Thermal Protection System, or TPS. This heat shield, made of carbon-carbon composite material, will experience temperatures of almost 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,370 Celsius) as the spacecraft hurtles through the solar atmosphere, while keeping the instruments on the spacecraft at approximately room temperature.The heat shield recently moved from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab (APL) in Laurel, Maryland to NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt to undergo testing in their large Thermal Vacuum Chamber.
Purple Gaze: Parker Solar Probe's Solar Arrays Pass Laser Illumination Testing
Posted on 12/06/2017 11:31:00NASA’s Parker Solar Probe passed laser illumination testing the week of Nov. 27, 2017. During this test, each segment of the spacecraft’s solar panels was illuminated with lasers to check that they were still electrically connected after the vigorous vibration and acoustic testing completed earlier this fall.
Sound Effects: Parker Solar Probe Passes Acoustic Testing
Posted on 11/16/2017 14:30:43When NASA’s Parker Solar Probe lifts off on top of a Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle in summer 2018, it will undergo both intense vibration from the physical forces of the rocket engines, as well as acoustic effects from the sound of the engines and the rocket going through the atmosphere.
New NASA Podcast "Gravity Assist" Debuts with Guest Dr. Nicola Fox
Posted on 11/15/2017 15:50:47“Gravity Assist,” a new NASA weekly podcast series, launches Wednesday on NASA.gov and the SoundCloud and iTunes audio platforms. This initial 10-part series, with plans for future episodes, features top scientists from around the world guiding listeners on a tour through our galactic neighborhood as they explore the wonders of the solar system and beyond.
Parker Solar Probe Time-Lapse Video: Moving from Johns Hopkins APL to NASA Goddard
Posted on 11/13/2017 12:24:46Time-lapse video shows the packing up and moving of the Parker Solar Probe spacecraft from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, to NASA'S Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt.
Parker Solar Probe Arrives at NASA Goddard
Posted on 11/07/2017 14:03:57On Monday, November 6, NASA's Parker Solar Probe spacecraft arrived at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland - a short drive from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, where the spacecraft was designed and built.
Wrapped and Ready for Transport
Posted on 11/03/2017 12:29:18NASA’s Parker Solar Probe – shown in protective bagging to prevent contamination, and mounted on a rotating pedestal – is getting ready for its trip from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab to Goddard Space Flight Center to continue environmental testing.
Parker Solar Probe Completes Launch Simulation Vibration Testing
Posted on 11/03/2017 08:59:03To ensure that NASA's Parker Solar Probe will be able to withstand the physical stresses of launch, engineers at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory – where the probe was designed and is being integrated and tested – used a special device called a shaker table to simulate the forces of being hurled into space.
Parker Solar Probe Successfully Completes Pre-Environmental Testing Review
Posted on 10/13/2017 10:50:13NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, the first mission to fly into the Sun’s corona, has successfully completed a review that approves the beginning of the spacecraft’s environmental testing.
Swing Time: Parker Solar Probe Passes Magnetic Swing Test
Posted on 10/06/2017 12:37:49As NASA's Parker Solar Probe continues through its careful construction process, the spacecraft – built for NASA by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland – is approaching the final stages and running through a battery of tests to ensure it will be ready for its groundbreaking mission to the Sun next summer.
Parker Solar Probe Uses An Improved “Reality” for Building Spacecraft
Posted on 10/05/2017 12:23:49New augmented reality technology developed by NASA allows the Parker Solar Probe spacecraft team to explore, rehearse, and perfect their fabrication and integration procedures—all in an immersive digital environment.
Eugene Parker Meets Parker Solar Probe
Posted on 10/03/2017 15:31:39On Tuesday, October 3, 2017, Eugene N. Parker, professor emeritus at the University of Chicago, visited the spacecraft that bears his name: NASA’s Parker Solar Probe. This is the first NASA mission that has been named for a living researcher, and is humanity’s first mission to the Sun.
Thermal Protection System Installed for Testing
Posted on 09/30/2017 07:38:10On Sept. 21, 2017, engineers at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, lowered the thermal protection system – the heat shield – onto the spacecraft for a test of alignment as part of integration and testing.
Facebook Live from the Parker Solar Probe Clean Room: Video
Posted on 09/25/2017 09:41:56Rewatch the Facebook Live as NASA took us on a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming Parker Solar Probe! Come inside the clean room at Johns Hopkins APL and learn more about this historic mission, the revolutionary spacecraft, and the people who are making it possible https://www.facebook.com/NAS
Final Rocket Components Arrive in Florida for Parker Solar Probe
Posted on 09/12/2017 12:55:33All components of the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket that will launch NASA’s Parker Solar Probe have arrived for prelaunch processing at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
From NASA: Delta IV Heavy Booster Cores Arrive for Parker Solar Probe
Posted on 08/03/2017 11:56:00Launch preparations are beginning to get off the ground for NASA’s upcoming Parker Solar Probe mission, scheduled to lift off in summer 2018 atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket.
Cool Power
Posted on 06/21/2017 09:00:23As NASA’s Parker Solar Probe spacecraft begins its first historic encounter with the sun’s corona in late 2018—flying closer to our star than any other mission in history—a revolutionary cooling system will keep its solar arrays at peak performance, even in extremely hostile conditions.Every instrument and system on board Parker Solar Probe (with the exception of four antennas and a special particle detector) will be hidden from the sun behind a breakthrough thermal protection system (TPS)—an eight-foot diameter shield that the spacecraft uses to defend itself against the intense heat and energy of our star.
NASA Renames Solar Probe Mission to Honor Pioneering Physicist Eugene Parker
Posted on 05/31/2017 11:30:00CHICAGO – NASA has renamed the Solar Probe Plus spacecraft – humanity’s first mission to a star, which will launch in 2018 – as the Parker Solar Probe in honor of astrophysicist Eugene Parker.
NASA to Make Announcement About First Mission to Touch Sun
Posted on 05/26/2017 08:46:46NASA will make an announcement about the agency’s first mission to fly directly into our sun’s atmosphere during an event at 11 a.m. EDT Wednesday, May 31, from the University of Chicago’s William Eckhardt Research Center Auditorium.
Tuning Up: Solar Probe Plus Gets its First Science Instrument
Posted on 05/17/2017 07:32:31With a few electrical connections and several turns of a wrench, Solar Probe Plus had its first onboard scientific instrument. The EPI-Lo particle detector – half of the Integrated Science Investigation of the Sun instrument suite – was installed on the spacecraft on April 17 at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland.
Decked Out: Solar Array Cooling System Coming Together on Solar Probe Plus
Posted on 04/19/2017 13:58:23The Solar Array Cooling System on Solar Probe Plus has one critical job – to protect the NASA spacecraft’s solar arrays from incineration as it moves through the blazing atmosphere of the sun.
Solar Probe Plus Project Scientist Dr. Nicola Fox at TEDxJHU
Posted on 03/10/2017 18:48:13Solar Probe Plus Project Scientist Dr. Nicola Fox at TEDxJHU was live on Facebook (@1:03) on March 11,2017.
Solar Probe Plus Featured on Discovery 'Facebook Live'
Posted on 02/08/2017 11:04:49Solar Probe Plus Project Scientist Nicky Fox, of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), was featured in a Discovery Channel Facebook Live event on Feb. 8, 2017.
At International Meeting, Mission Team Previews the Science of Solar Probe Plus
Posted on 01/05/2017 13:41:46The science of Solar Probe Plus – NASA’s first mission to “touch” the sun – was on stage last month at the American Geophysical Union’s Fall Meeting in San Francisco. With some 25,000 attendees, representing nearly 100 countries, AGU’s Fall Meeting is the world’s largest Earth and space science conference.
NASA's Solar Probe Plus Mission Moves One Step Closer to Launch
Posted on 07/29/2016 09:46:39NASA's Solar Probe Plus – the first mission that will fly into sun's upper atmosphere and “touch” the sun – has passed a design review, an important milestone leading to its anticipated summer 2018 launch.
NASA Gives Green Light for APL to Begin Building Solar Probe Plus
Posted on 04/08/2015 12:37:00NASA’s Solar Probe Plus mission - which will fly closer to the Sun than any spacecraft has before- reached a major milestone last month when it successfully completed its Critical Design Review (CDR).
Solar Probe Plus Moves into Advanced Development
Posted on 03/18/2014 09:26:32Solar Probe Plus — NASA’s ambitious mission to fly through and examine the sun’s atmosphere — has reached a key stage of development. Solar Probe Plus will begin advanced design, development and testing — a step NASA designates as Phase C — following a successful design review in which an independent assessment board deemed that the mission team, led by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Md., was ready to move ahead with full-scale spacecraft fabrication, assembly, integration and testing.
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Parker One
The first annual Parker Solar Probe conference will highlight discoveries from the first three orbits and new ones from orbit 4 with closer perihelion of 27.8 Rsun. The conference is open to the entire heliophysics community.
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