NASA'S Parker Solar Probe Mission
is about to embark on a historic journey
to our very own star,
the Sun.
Named for Dr. Eugene N. Parker -
whose contributions have revolutionized our understanding
of the Sun -
Parker Solar Probe will usher in a new era of exploration.
It's a mission of extremes.
The spacecraft will plunge through the Sun's atmosphere -
called the corona -
and fly closer to the Sun's surface than any spacecraft in history -
more than seven times closer.
The Sun's surface is hot
at temperatures exceeding 10,000 degrees fahrenheit -
but the real surprise is
its atmoshpere is even hotter,
300 times hotter.
Facing the corona's brutal heat and radiation conditions,
Parker Solar Probe will finally provide answers
to some of the most important questions
about how our sun works.
As Parker Solar Probe speeds around the Sun
making these measurements -
its moving at over 430,000 miles per hour -
that's like traveling from New York to Tokyo
in less than a minute.
This mission is the culmination of 60 years' work
by the best and brightest scientific and engineering minds.
Today, our technology will let us achieve our dreams.
To reveal the secrets of the corona and our sun -
and to one day help better protect technology
from the threats of space weather.
In 2018, we will launch Parker Solar Probe...
...humanity's first mission to touch the Sun.