The corona spacecraft "contacted" the solar atmosphere for the first time

The corona spacecraft "contacted" the solar atmosphere for the first time. A NASA spacecraft officially "contacted" the sun atmosphere, diving into the undiscovered corona of the solar atmosphere. The corona spacecraft "contacted" the sun's atmosphere for the first time. The corona spacecraft "contacted" the solar atmosphere for the first time 1

This is an incredible and historic first time. A man-made spacecraft swooped in and had an intimate contact with the sun.

On April 28, 2021, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe actually flew into and passed through the sun’s upper atmosphere, the corona. Not only did it live to tell the story (a testament to the efficacy of Parker's high-tech insulation), it also took in-situ measurements, giving us a wealth of never-before-seen data about the core of the solar system.

Astrophysicist Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, said: "Parker Solar Probe's 'touch of the sun' is a monumental moment for solar science and a A truly remarkable feat. Not only does this milestone give us a deeper understanding of the evolution of the Sun and its impact on the solar system, but what we learn about our own star also allows us to learn more about other stars in the universe. ”

The Parker Solar Probe was launched in 2018. Its main goal is to detect the corona. During the planned seven-year mission, it will make a total of 26 close approaches (or perihelions) to the sun, using a total of seven gravity-assisted maneuvers from Venus to bring it closer to the sun. April's perihelion is the eighth and the first to actually enter the corona.

For nearly five hours inside the sun's atmosphere, Parker measured fluctuations in the sun's magnetic field and sampled particles. Previously, our estimates of these properties relied primarily on external information.

Nour Raouafi, an astrophysicist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and a scientist on the Parker project, said: "The Parker Solar Probe flew very far away from the sun. So close, it can now sense conditions in the corona, the dominant magnetic layer in the sun's atmosphere, in a way we couldn't before. We're seeing evidence of the corona in magnetic field data, solar wind data and visual images. You can see the corona structure that can be observed during a total solar eclipse by a spacecraft. "The corona spacecraft "contacts" the solar atmosphere for the first time 2

Foreign media BreezyScroll website reported on the 15th, NASA (NASA). A spacecraft officially "contacted" the sun's atmosphere and dived into the undiscovered corona of the sun's atmosphere.

Scientists announced the news at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union on Tuesday.

In the spacecraft’s seventh close encounter with the sun, the Parker Solar Probe passed through the corona. According to the scientists, it took several months for the data to arrive, and then several more for confirmation.

Nour Raouafi, a project scientist at Johns Hopkins University, calls the news "very exciting."

The corona is where solar activity occurs. Because the sun lacks a solid surface, studying this area of ??intense magnetic fields up close will help scientists better understand solar outbursts that could disrupt life on Earth.

The Parker Solar Probe was launched in 2018. It was 8 miles (13 kilometers) from the sun's center when it first passed through the rough, uneven boundary between the sun's atmosphere and the outward solar wind. According to scientists, the spacecraft entered and exited the solar corona at least three times. There's a smooth transition every time.

Justin Kasper of the University of Michigan said in an interview: "Our first and most exciting time was down there for about five hours... Now you might "Five hours doesn't sound like much." Parker, on the other hand, was running fast. He was traveling at a speed of 62 miles (100 kilometers) per second and covered a long distance.

According to Raouafi, the corona looks grayer than expected. Future corona travel will help scientists better understand the origin of the solar wind, such as how it is heated and pushed into space.

According to preliminary data, the Parker Solar Probe may have fallen into the corona during its eighth close encounter in August. But experts say further research is needed. Last month, it made its tenth close-range detection.

Parker will continue to approach the sun and penetrate deep into the corona before completing its final orbit in 2025. The corona spacecraft "contacted" the solar atmosphere for the first time 3

(At 3:31 pm on August 12, Beijing time), the world's first corona spacecraft was launched in Florida, USA, starting the closest approach in human history A desperate flight across the sun's surface.

This is mankind’s fastest spacecraft to date (speed 800,000 kilometers per hour). It will arrive at the outer reaches of the sun in December 2024, and will spend the last 88 days of its life penetrating deep into its atmosphere until it burns up. Like fire, it is thrown into the center of the wave of colorful streamers on the surface of the sun.

This corona spacecraft is named "Parker" in memory of the American astrophysicist Eugene Parker. It was developed by NASA under the project "Living With a Star" ) one of the plans.

"Parker" is the highest achievement of current aerospace technology. It has a top speed of 800,000 kilometers per hour and can fly from Beijing to Chicago in one minute. It is the fastest flight in human history. spacecraft.

The hull is only the size of a car and is equipped with 5 scientific instruments for measurement and sampling. It will use Venus for gravity boost seven times and reach outside the solar atmosphere in December 2024.

At that time, it will enter its final flight around the sun, penetrate deep into the solar atmosphere, and reach 6.44 million kilometers above the sun's surface. This will be the closest distance that human technology can currently get to the sun. In history, humans have launched 15 solar probes. The current closest to the sun's surface is the "Helios 2" launched in 1976, which is 15 miles away from the sun's surface. About 45 million kilometers.

Under the impact of high temperature and radiation, "Parker" is expected to work for 88 days, and then it will turn into a meteor and fall into the sun's vast sea of ????fire.

In order to ensure the completion of its scientific research mission, "Parker" has assembled the most elite technologies. The first is protection. It has a thermal protection system, which consists of a 2.4-meter graphite carbon fiber heat shield, two pieces of carbon composite material, and a special super-reflective coating. It can withstand high temperatures of 1,400 degrees Celsius and keep the interior of the spacecraft at room temperature. It is the most heat-resistant product in human history.

The second is power. The journey to the sun consumes 55 times more energy than the journey to Mars, so "Parker" has a dual solar panel system. The larger set of panels will be used for most of the journey, and the smaller set of panels will be used closer to the sun (with a custom-made liquid cooling system). In extreme heat, the solar panels fold back under the heat shield.

The scientific research mission of "Parker" is to study the corona - covering how the corona heats, how the solar wind accelerates, the structure of the magnetic field on the sun's surface, and the sources of other high-speed particles.

Since coronal ejections (solar wind bursts) will endanger satellite communications and power transmission on the earth, studying its mysteries will be of great benefit to the development of human science and technology.

The launch of "Parker" will usher in an era of great astronomical navigation.

In 2020, the European Space Agency will launch a solar orbiter, and the "Daniel K. Inouye" solar telescope will also land in Hawaii, where it will map the movement of the corona.