How did NASA's spacecraft survive its closest approach to the sun?

How did NASA's spacecraft survive its closest approach to the sun?

A spacecraft from the American space agency NASA has made history by not only getting closer to the sun but also operating normally in an area with unusually high temperatures. No spacecraft has ever been able to get that close to the sun before.

On Friday, NASA scientists received a signal that the spacecraft had lost communication after flying for several days in a very high-temperature environment.

According to NASA, the spacecraft, called Parker Solar Probe, is still safe and is operating normally despite reaching a distance of 6.1 million kilometers from the sun's surface.

Remember that NASA sent Parker Solar Probe to the center of the solar system in 2018.

According to scientists, the spacecraft entered the sun's outer atmosphere on Christmas Eve. However, despite facing extremely high temperatures and radiation, it survived. It is said that this flight of the spacecraft will reveal more facts about the way the sun works.

NASA scientists' hearts were racing as the Parker Solar Probe approached the sun. They were constantly waiting for signals from it. Those signals were expected to be received by 5 am on December 28.

How could the spacecraft withstand such high temperatures?

Parker Solar Probe Suraj ke bahari vaartha mein dasthaAccording to the NASA website, the Parker Solar Probe was able to withstand temperatures of 980 degrees Celsius while traveling at a speed of 6.92 lakh kilometers per hour.

NASA said that by studying the sun so close to the Parker Solar Probe, its temperature can be taken. This will also help in understanding how some substances in that region can heat up to millions of degrees Celsius.

This can also reveal the origin of the solar wind and the reason why energetic particles accelerate to the speed of light.

Dr Nicola Fox, head of NASA's science department, previously told the BBC - People have been studying the Sun for centuries. But until they get there, they don't get to experience the atmosphere there. So until you fly close to the Sun, you can't tell what the atmosphere is like there.

Parker Solar Probe was launched in 2018. Since then, it has continued its journey towards the center of the solar system.

It has come close to the Sun 21 times, and each time it has come closer to the Sun than before. However, on Christmas Eve, it came closest to the Sun and broke the record so far.

However, despite getting closer to the Sun so far, it was still 6.1 million kilometers away from the Sun. However, this distance redefines the distance between the Sun and the spacecraft.

According to Dr Fox, the distance between the Earth and the Sun is 93 million miles. If we put the Sun and the Earth at a distance of one meter, then the Solar Probe is only 4 centimeters from the Sun. In fact, the Solar Probe has come very close to the Sun.

This spacecraft has also managed to withstand temperatures of 1400 degrees Celsius. Such high temperatures could have turned the instruments on the vehicle into ashes.

However, the 11.5 cm thick carbon composite shield installed all around the vehicle has protected it. However, the strategy of this vehicle is to enter the Sun's atmosphere at high speed and then exit at the same speed.

In fact, it has moved faster than any man-made object. Its speed was 430,000 miles per hour. That is, it covered the distance from London to New York in less than 30 seconds. Parker achieved this speed due to the extremely strong gravitational force it received while going towards the Sun.

Why is there an attempt to touch the Sun?

Scientists hope that Parker Solar Probe will help solve the mysteries surrounding the Sun

Scientists hope that when Parker Solar Probe enters the Sun's outer atmosphere, the corona, it may collect many such facts that can solve long-standing mysteries.

According to Dr. Jennifer Millard, an astronomer at the Fifth Star Lab in Wales, the corona is actually very hot and none of us know why it is so hot there.

According to her, the temperature of the surface of the Sun is about 6,000 degrees Celsius. However, its outer part, the corona (which we can also see during a solar eclipse), the temperature reaches millions of degrees and it is also much further from the Sun. Why is the atmosphere there so hot? The question remains a mystery.

This NASA mission will also study the flow of charged particles that continuously emerge from the solar storm, the sun's corona.

When these charged particles come into contact with the Earth's magnetic field, they create a lot of light in the sky. However, this space phenomenon can also cause various weather-related problems. It can disrupt the power grid, electrical and communication systems.

Solar wind creates light in the sky

Dr. Millard says - Knowing about the Sun, its activities, space weather and solar wind is very important for our daily lives on Earth.

Parker Solar Probe Contact NASA scientists were worried when it was down.

Dr. Fox believed that when it received a signal, his team would send it a green heart symbol, indicating that the spacecraft was working properly.

He said that although he had been very worried about NASA's daring attempt, he had confidence in the spacecraft.

He said, "I will still be worried about the probe. But we have designed it in such a way that it can operate in very difficult and harsh conditions. This small spacecraft is very powerful from the inside."