On July 6th 2018, NASA announced that its Parker Solar Probe has just been fitted with a new heat shield in preparation for its rendezvous with the sun. The Parker Solar Probe's mission is to study the sun's outer layer, or corona. To do so, the space craft will fly within 4 million miles of the sun's surface, making it the first man made object to fly that close. The Parker Solar Probe's mission will last a total of seven years.
Over the course of the Parker Solar Probe's mission, the space craft will make seven gravity assisted flybys of Venus in order to get it into its closest approach of the sun. The space craft will make a total of 24 orbits. While in orbit, the Parker Solar Probe will examine the sun's plasma and magnetic fields, trace the flow of energy that heats the corona, and explore the mechanisms that transport energetic particles.
While in the sun's orbit, the Parker Solar Probe will experience temperatures approaching 1,400 degrees Celsius. For this reason a heat shield that can handle the extreme exposure is needed. The space craft's heat shield consists of two layers that weigh 160 lbs. These layers are made of carbon composite with a layer of 4.5 inch thick carbon foam tucked in between them. The side of the heat shield facing the sun has a special white coating that will reflect the sun's energy.
The expected launch date for the Parker Solar probe is August 4th, 2018.
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