TheParker Solar Probe (PSP; previouslySolar Probe,Solar Probe Plus orSolar Probe+)[6] is aNASAspace probe launched in 2018 to make observations of theSun's outer corona.
It used repeatedgravity assists fromVenus to develop an eccentric orbit, approaching within 9.86solar radii (6.9 million km or 4.3 million miles)[7][8] from the center of the Sun. At its closest approach in 2024, its speed relative to the Sun was 690,000 km/h (430,000 mph) or 191 km/s (118.7 mi/s), which is 0.064% thespeed of light.[7][9] It is the fastest object ever built onEarth.[10]
On 29 October 2018, at about 18:04 UTC, the spacecraft became the closest ever artificial object to the Sun. The previous record, 42.73 million kilometers (26.55 million miles) from the Sun's surface, was set by theHelios 2 spacecraft in April 1976.[13] At itsperihelion on 27 September 2023, the PSP's closest approach was 7.26 million kilometers (4.51 million miles),[14] reaching this distance again on 29 March 2024.[15]
On 24 December 2024 at 11:53 UTC, PSP made its closest approach to the Sun, coming to a distance of 6.1 million km (3.8 million miles) from the surface. Its beacon signal was received on 26 December, showing that it had survived the passage through the corona.[16][17] Detailed telemetry was received 1 January 2025.[18]
In 2025, the teams from NASA, Johns Hopkins, and partners were awarded the 2024Collier Trophy for their achievements.[19]
The Parker Solar Probe concept originates in the 1958 report by the Fields and Particles Group, Committee 8 of theNational Academy of Sciences' Space Science Board,[20][21][22] which proposed several space missions including "a solar probe to pass inside the orbit of Mercury to study the particles and fields in the vicinity of the Sun".[23][24]
Studies in the 1970s and 1980s reaffirmed its importance,[23] but it was always postponed due to cost. A cost-reduced Solar Orbiter mission was studied in the 1990s, and a more capable Solar Probe mission served as one of the centerpieces of the Outer Planet/Solar Probe (OPSP) program formulated byNASA in the late 1990s. The first three missions of the program were planned to be: theSolar Orbiter, thePluto andKuiper belt reconnaissancePluto Kuiper Express mission, and theEuropa Orbiter astrobiology mission focused onEuropa.[25][26]
Evolution of PSP design
The original Solar Probe design used agravity assist fromJupiter to enter apolar orbit which dropped almost directly toward the Sun. While this explored the important solar poles and came even closer to the surface (3R☉, a perihelion of 4R☉),[26] the extreme variation in solar irradiance made for an expensive mission and required aradioisotope thermal generator for power. The trip to Jupiter also made for a long mission,3+1⁄2 years to first solar perihelion, 8 years to second.
Following the appointment ofSean O'Keefe as Administrator of NASA, the entirety of the OPSP program was canceled as part of PresidentGeorge W. Bush's request for the2003 United States federal budget.[27] Administrator O'Keefe cited a need for a restructuring of NASA and its projects, falling in line with the Bush Administration's wish for NASA to refocus on "research and development, and addressing management shortcomings".[27]
In the early 2010s, plans for the Solar Probe mission were incorporated into a lower-costSolar Probe Plus.[28] The redesigned mission uses multiple Venus gravity assists for a more direct flight path, which can be powered bysolar panels. It has a higher perihelion, reducing the demands on the thermal protection system.
In May 2017, the spacecraft was renamed the Parker Solar Probe in honor of astrophysicistEugene Newman Parker,[29][30] who had proposed the existence ofnanoflares as an explanation ofcoronal heating[31] as well as having developed a mathematical theory that predicted the existence ofsolar wind.[32] The solar probe cost NASA US$1.5 billion.[33][34] The launch rocket bore a dedication in memory ofAPL engineer Andrew A. Dantzler who had worked on the project.[35]
Amemory card containing names submitted by over 1.1 million people was mounted on a plaque and installed below the spacecraft's high-gain antenna.[36] The card also contains photos of Parker and a copy of his 1958 scientific paper predicting important aspects ofsolar physics.[37]
The Parker Solar Probe is the first spacecraft to fly into the low solar corona. It will assess the structure and dynamics of the Sun's coronal plasma and magnetic field, the energy flow that heats the solar corona and impels the solar wind, and the mechanisms that accelerate energetic particles.
The spacecraft's systems are protected from the extreme heat and radiation near theSun by a solar shield. Incident solar radiation at perihelion is approximately650 kW/m2, or 475 times theintensity at Earth orbit.[1][38]: 31 The solar shield is hexagonal, mounted on the Sun-facing side of the spacecraft, 2.3 m (7 ft 7 in) in diameter,[39] 11.4 cm (4.5 in) thick, and is made of two panels ofreinforced carbon–carbon composite with a lightweight 11-centimeter-thick (4.5 in) carbon foam core,[40] which is designed to withstand temperatures outside the spacecraft of about 1,370 °C (2,500 °F).[1] The shield weighs only 73 kilograms (160 lb) and keeps the spacecraft's instruments at 29 °C (85 °F).[40]
A white reflectivealumina surface layer minimizes absorption. The spacecraft systems andscientific instruments are located in the central portion of the shield's shadow, where direct radiation from the Sun is fully blocked. If the shield was not between the spacecraft and the Sun, the probe would be damaged and become inoperative within tens of seconds. As radio communication with Earth takes about eight minutes in each direction, the Parker Solar Probe has to act autonomously and rapidly to protect itself. This is done using four light sensors to detect the first traces of directsunlight coming from the shield limits and engaging movements fromreaction wheels to reposition the spacecraft within the shadow again. According to project scientist Nicky Fox, the team described it as "the most autonomous spacecraft that has ever flown".[6]
The primary power for the mission is a dual system ofsolar panels (photovoltaic arrays). A primary photovoltaic array, used for the portion of the mission outside0.25 au, is retracted behind the shadow shield during the close approach to the Sun, and a much smaller secondary array powers the spacecraft through closest approach. This secondary array uses pumped-fluid cooling to maintainoperating temperature of the solar panels and instrumentation.[41][42]
A light bar testing in theAstrotech processing facility.
Parker Solar Probe mated to its third stage rocket motor
An animation of the Parker Solar Probe's trajectory from August 7, 2018, to August 29, 2025: Parker Solar Probe·Sun·Mercury·Venus·Earth For more detailed animation, seethis video.
The Parker Solar Probe mission design used repeatedgravity assists atVenus to incrementally decrease its orbitalperihelion to achieve a final altitude (above the surface) of approximately 8.5 solar radii, or about 6×10^6 km (3.7×10^6 mi; 0.040 au).[39] The spacecraft trajectory included seven Venus flybys over nearly seven years to gradually shrink its elliptical orbit around the Sun, for a total of 24 orbits.[1] The near Sun radiation environment was predicted to causespacecraft charging effects, radiation damage in materials and electronics, and communication interruptions, so the orbit is highly elliptical with short times spent near the Sun.[38]
The trajectory required high launch energy, so the probe was launched on aDelta IV Heavylaunch vehicle and an upper stage based on theStar 48BV solid rocket motor.[38] Interplanetarygravity assists provided further deceleration relative to itsheliocentric orbit, which resulted in a heliocentric speed record atperihelion.[4][43] As the probe passed around theSun in December 2024, it achieved a velocity of 690,000 km/h (430,000 mph) or 191 km/s (118.7 mi/s) in theheliocentric ecliptic reference frame, which temporarily made it the fastest human-made object, almost three times as fast as the previous record holder,Helios-2.[7][9][44][45][46]
Launch injection was very close to predictions, but nevertheless required path correction. Trajectory was re-optimized after the launch to save fuel. The first Venus flyby was only 52 days after the launch; three trajectory correction maneuvers were performed in this window.[22]
As described byKepler's laws of planetary motion, which apply to any object in an orbit, gravity will cause the spacecraft to accelerate as it nears perihelion, then slow down again afterward until it reaches itsaphelion. Because of its highly elliptical orbit and the Sun's strong gravity, this effect is particularly pronounced for the Parker Solar Probe. During a perihelion on September 27, 2023, the spacecraft traveled at 394,736 miles per hour (176.5 km/s), fast enough to fly from New York to Tokyo in just over a minute.[14]
An apparent size of the Sun as seen from the Parker Solar Probe at perihelion compared to its apparent size seen from Earth
The final gravity assist of the Parker Solar Probe mission occurred on November 6, 2024, which set the spacecraft on a new orbit passing 6.1 million kilometers (3.8 million miles) from the surface of the Sun.[47] A beacon transmission was made and received successfully on December 20 to confirm that the craft was operating normally ahead of the perihelion. The exact time of closest approach was 11:53 UTC on December 24 but the craft was out of contact at this time. A further beacon transmission confirming successful passage was received on December 26.[48][49]
This final orbit is inside the orbit of Venus and so no further encounters with that planet are planned. It will continue in this orbit but requiring adjustment to maintain attitude so that its transmitters point at Earth. Eventually its thrusters will run out of fuel and full functioning will not then be possible. The plan is to then rotate the craft so that its instruments will be exposed to the full radiance of the Sun for the first time. This is expected to ablate and destroy them. The heat shield will remain though and is expected to continue to orbit the Sun for millions of years.[50]
Schematic view of all PSP's instrumentsParker Solar Probe 3D model
Parker Solar Probe has four main instruments:[51][52]
FIELDS (Electromagnetic Fields Investigation). The instrument suite captures the scale and shape of electric and magnetic fields in the Sun's atmosphere. FIELDS measures waves and turbulence in the inner heliosphere with high time resolution to understand the fields associated with waves, shocks and magnetic reconnection, a process by which magnetic field lines explosively realign. FIELDS measures the electric field around the spacecraft with five antennas, four of which stick out beyond the spacecraft's heat shield and into the sunlight, where they experience temperatures of 1,370 °C (2,500 °F). The 2-meter-long (6 ft 7 in) antennas are made of aniobium alloy, which can withstand extreme temperatures. FIELDS measures electric fields across a broad frequency range both directly and remotely. Operating in two modes, the four sunlit antennas measure the properties of the fast and slow solar wind — the flow of solar particles constantly streaming out from the Sun. The fifth antenna, which sticks out perpendicular to the others in the shade of the heat shield, helps make a three-dimensional picture of the electric field at higher frequencies. The suite also has three magnetometers to assess the magnetic field. A search coil magnetometer, or SCM, measures how the magnetic field changes over time. Two identical fluxgate magnetometers, MAGi and MAGo, measure the large-scale coronal magnetic field. The fluxgate magnetometers are specialized for measuring the magnetic field further from the Sun where it varies at a slower rate, while the search coil magnetometer is necessary closer to the Sun where the field changes quickly, as it can sample the magnetic field at a rate of two million times per second. The Principal Investigator is Stuart Bale at theUniversity of California, Berkeley.[51]
IS☉IS (Integrated Science Investigation of the Sun). The instrument uses two complementary instruments to measure particles across a wide range of energies. By measuring electrons, protons and ions, IS☉IS will understand the particles' lifecycles — where they came from, how they became accelerated and how they move out from the Sun through interplanetary space. The two energetic particle instruments on IS☉IS are called EPI-Lo and EPI-Hi (EPI stands for Energetic Particle Instrument). EPI-Lo measures the spectra of electrons and ions and identifies carbon, oxygen, neon, magnesium, silicon, iron and two isotopes of helium, He-3 and He-4. Distinguishing between helium isotopes will help determine which of several theorized mechanisms caused the particles' acceleration. The instrument has a design with an octagonal dome body supporting 80 viewfinders. Multiple viewfinders provide a wide field of view to observe low-energy particles. An ion that enters EPI-Lo through one of the viewfinders first passes through two carbon-polyimide-aluminum foils and then encounters a solid-state detector. Upon impact, the foils produce electrons, which are measured by a microchannel plate. Using the amount of energy left by the ion's impact on the detector and the time it takes the ions to pass through the sensor identifies the species of the particles. EPI-Hi uses three particle sensors composed of stacked layers of detectors to measure particles with energies higher than those measured by EPI-Lo. The front few layers are composed of ultra-thin silicon detectors made up of geometric segments, which allows for the determination of the particle's direction and helps reduce background noise. Charged particles are identified by measuring how deep they travel into the stack of detectors and how many electrons they pull off atoms in each detector, a process called ionization. At closest approach to the Sun, EPI-Hi will be able to detect up to 100,000 particles per second. The Principal Investigator is David McComas atPrinceton University.[51][53]
WISPR (Wide-field Imager for Solar Probe). These optical telescopes acquire images of thecorona and innerheliosphere. WISPR uses two cameras with radiation-hardened Active Pixel Sensor CMOS detectors. The camera's lenses are made of a radiation hard BK7, a common type of glass used for space telescopes, which is also sufficiently hardened against the impacts of dust. The Principal Investigator is Russell Howard at theNaval Research Laboratory.[51]
SWEAP (Solar Wind Electrons Alphas and Protons). This investigation will count the electrons, protons and helium ions, and measure their properties such as velocity, density, and temperature. Its main instruments are the Solar Probe Analyzers (SPAN, twoelectrostatic analyzers) and the Solar Probe Cup (SPC). SPC is aFaraday cup, a metal device that can catch charged particles in a vacuum. Peeking over the heat shield to measure how electrons and ions are moving, the cup is exposed to the full light, heat and energy of the Sun. The cup is composed of a series of highly transparent grids — one of which uses variable high voltages to sort the particles — above several collector plates, which measure the particles' properties. The variable voltage grid also helps sort out background noise, such as cosmic rays and photoionized electrons, which could otherwise bias the measurements. The grids, located near the front of the instrument, can reach temperatures of 1,650 °C (3,000 °F), glowing red while the instrument makes measurements. The instrument uses pieces of sapphire to electrically isolate different components within the cup. As it passes close to the Sun, SPC takes up to 146 measurements per second to accurately determine the velocity, density and temperature of the Sun's plasma. SPAN is composed of two instruments, SPAN-A and SPAN-B, which have wide fields of view to allow them to see the parts of space not observed by SPC. Particles encountering the detectors enter a maze that sends the particles through a series of deflectors and voltages to sort the particles based on their mass and charge. While SPAN-A has two components to measure both electrons and ions, SPAN-B looks only at electrons. The Principal Investigator is Justin Kasper at theUniversity of Michigan and theSmithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.[51]
An additional theoretical investigation named Heliospheric origins with Solar Probe Plus (HeliOSPP) starting from 2010 and ending in 2024 has the role of providing theoretical input and independent assessment of scientific performance to the Science Working Group (SWG) and the SPP Project to maximize the scientific return from the mission. The Principal Investigator is Marco Velli at theUniversity of California, Los Angeles and theJet Propulsion Laboratory; he also serves as the Observatory Scientist for the mission.[38]
Launch of the Parker Solar Probe in 2018Artist's rendition of the Parker Solar Probe approaching the Sun
The Parker Solar Probe was launched on 12 August 2018, at 07:31 UTC. The spacecraft operated nominally after launching. During its first week in space it deployed its high-gain antenna, magnetometer boom, and electric field antennas.[54] The spacecraft performed its first scheduled trajectory correction on 20 August 2018, while it was 8.8 million kilometers (5.5 million mi) from Earth, and travelling at 63,569 kilometers per hour (39,500 mph)[55]
Instrument activation and testing began in early September 2018. On 9 September 2018, the two WISPR telescopic cameras performed a successfulfirst-light test, transmitting wide-angle images of the background sky towards theGalactic Center.[56]
The probe successfully performed the first of the seven planned Venus flybys on 3 October 2018, where it came within about 2,400 kilometers (1,500 mi) of Venus in order to reduce the probe's speed and orbit closer to the Sun.[57]
The second flyby of Venus on December 26, 2019. The velocity decreases by 2.9 km/s to 26 km/s (red circle), shifting the spacecraft to a new orbit closer to the Sun.
Within each orbit of the Parker Solar Probe around the Sun, the portion within 0.25 AU is the Science Phase, in which the probe is actively and autonomously making observations. Communication with the probe is largely cut off in that phase.[58]: 4 Science phases run for a few days both before and after each perihelion. They lasted 11.6 days for the earliest perihelion, and will drop to 9.6 days for the final, closest perihelion.[58]: 8
Much of the rest of each orbit is devoted to transmitting data from the science phase. But during this part of each orbit, there are still periods when communication is not possible. First, the requirement that the heat shield of the probe be pointed towards the Sun sometimes puts the heat shield between the antenna and Earth. Second, even when the probe is not particularly near the Sun, when the angle between the probe and the Sun, as seen from Earth, is too small, the Sun's radiation can overwhelm the communication link.[58]: 11–14
After the firstVenusflyby, the probe was in anelliptical orbit with a period of 150 days (two-thirds the period of Venus), making three orbits while Venus makes two. After the second flyby, the period shortened to 130 days. After less than two orbits, only 198 days later, it encountered Venus a third time at a point earlier in the orbit of Venus. This encounter shortened its period to half of that of Venus, or about 112.5 days. After two orbits it met Venus a fourth time at about the same place, shortening its period to about 102 days.[59]
After 237 days, it met Venus for the fifth time and its period was shortened to about 96 days, three-sevenths that of Venus. It then made seven orbits while Venus made three. The sixth encounter, almost two years after the fifth, shortened its period down to 92 days, two-fifths that of Venus. After five more orbits (two orbits of Venus), it met Venus for the seventh and last time, decreasing its period to 88 or 89 days and allowing it to approach closer to the Sun.[59]
Flybys 3 and 4 occur at the same point in Venus's orbit.
27 September
Perihelion #6
14.2
129
112.5
2021
17 January
Perihelion #7
20 February
Venus flyby #4
2392 km
Outbound
Outside
Flybys 3 and 4 occur at the same point in Venus's orbit.
28 April
Perihelion #8
11.1
147
102
First perihelion to enter the solar corona
9 August
Perihelion #9
16 October
Venus flyby #5
3786 km
Inbound
Inside
Flybys 5 and 6 occur at the same point in Venus's orbit.
21 November
Perihelion #10
9.2
163
96
2022
25 February
Perihelion #11
1 June
Perihelion #12
6 September
Perihelion #13
11 December
Perihelion #14
2023
17 March
Perihelion #15
22 June
Perihelion #16
21 August
Venus flyby #6
3939 km
Inbound
Inside
Flybys 5 and 6 occur at the same point in Venus's orbit.
27 September
Perihelion #17
7.9
176
92
29 December
Perihelion #18
2024
30 March
Perihelion #19
30 June
Perihelion #20
30 September
Perihelion #21
6 November
Venus flyby #7
317 km
Outbound
Outside
24 December
Perihelion #22
6.9
192
88
2025
22 March
Perihelion #23
19 June
Perihelion #24
15 September
Perihelion #25
12 December
Perihelion #26
^For altitude above the surface, subtract one solar radius ≈0.7 Gm. (A Gm (gigameter) is a million km or about 621371 mi.)
^Speeds are given in the heliocentric ecliptic reference frame.
^Details on Venus flybys from Guo et al.[58]: 6 This was published in 2014, four years before the mission began. For a variety of reasons, including the fact that the launch had to be delayed at the last minute, actual details could differ from the ones presented in the work.
^Inbound indicates that the Venus flyby will take place afterParker's aphelion (in the case of the first flyby, after its launch), on its way to perihelion.Outbound indicates that the Venus flyby will take place afterParker's perihelion, on its way to aphelion.
^Inside indicates that the probe will pass in between Venus and the Sun.Outside indicates that the probe will pass beyond Venus from the Sun; the probe will briefly pass through Venus's shadow in those instances.
^The first orbital period of 174 days was the orbit established by the launch and course adjustments, and was the orbit the probe would have taken had nothing further happened to change it. That orbit was, per mission plan, never completed. On the probe's first inbound course towards the Sun, it made its first planned encounter with Venus, which shortened its orbit considerably.
^The altitude is from the source cited,[58]: 6 dated 2014. 2548 km comes to 1583 mi. NASA's[61] and Johns Hopkins's[62] press releases (identical), say "...came within about 1500 miles of Venus' surface..." A NASA blog,[57] says, "...completed its flyby of Venus at a distance of about 1500 miles..." Other news reports, presumably taking that information, also provide a figure of 2414 km. But neither the NASA/Hopkins press release nor the blog gives a figure in kilometers. Both the NASA and Hopkins press releases say that the flyby reduced the speed of theParker Solar Probe (relative to the Sun) by about 10%, or 7000 mph. This altered the orbit, bringing perihelion about 4 million miles closer to the Sun than it would have been without the gravity assist.
^By way of comparison, the planetMercury orbits the Sun at a distance varying from about 46.0 Gm (46,001,200 km) at its closest to about 69.8 Gm (69,816,900 km) at its farthest.
^ After the second solar encounter phase,Parker Solar Probe was able to download much more data than NASA had expected. So NASA announced a substantial extension of the third solar encounter phase from 11 days to about 35 days. The observational instruments were turned on whenParker Solar Probe came within 0.45au on the inbound trip, and are planned to run until the probe reaches about 0.50 au outbound.[66]
^ The third flyby of Venus was the first to pass behind Venus from the point of view of the Sun. The probe was in Venus's shadow, obscured from the Sun, for about 11 minutes, and passed through a so-called "tail" of Venus – a trail of charged particles from the atmosphere of Venus. The probe's instruments were to be turned on to make observations.[72]
A visualization of PSP's projected orbit through 2029, assuming it continues to follow its current trajectory.
PSP's mission can be extended beyond main mission that will end in 2025. Currently discussed plan is "to complete the solar cycle at the 9.86 Rs perihelion distance".[73]
PSP observed switchbacks — traveling disturbances in the solar wind that caused the magnetic field to bend back on itself.NASA animation of the Probe passing through the Sun'sstellar corona. Inside the boundary at the corona's edge, itsAlfvén critical surface, plasma connects to the Sun by waves traveling back and forth to the surface.
On November 6, 2018, Parker Solar Probe observed its firstmagnetic switchbacks – sudden reversals in the direction of themagnetic field carried by the solar wind.[74] They were first observed by the NASA-ESA missionUlysses, the first spacecraft to fly over the Sun's poles.[75][76] The switchbacks generate heat that warms solar corona.[77]
On 4 December 2019, the first four research papers were published describing findings during the spacecraft's first two dives near the Sun.[78][79][80][81][82] They reported the direction and strength of the Sun's magnetic field, and described the unusually frequent and short-lived changes in the direction of the Sun's magnetic field. These measurements confirm the hypothesis thatAlfvén waves are the leading candidates for understanding the mechanisms that underlie thecoronal heating problem.[79][83] The probe observed approximately a thousand "rogue" magnetic waves in the solar atmosphere that instantly increase solar wind speeds by as much as 300,000 miles per hour (480,000 km/h) and in some cases completely reverse the local magnetic field.[79][80][84][85]
They also reported that, using the "beam of electrons that stream along the magnetic field", they were able to observe that "the reversals in the Sun's magnetic field are often associated with localized enhancements in the radial component of the plasma velocity (the velocity in the direction away from the Sun's center)". The researchers found a "surprisingly largeazimuthal component of the plasma velocity (the velocity perpendicular to the radial direction). This component results from the force with which the Sun's rotation slingshots plasma out of the corona when the plasma is released from the coronal magnetic field".[79][80]
PSP discovered evidence of acosmic dust-free zone of 3.5 million miles (5.6 million kilometers) radius from the Sun, due to vaporisation of cosmic dust particles by the Sun's radiation.[86]
On April 28, 2021, during its eighth flyby of the Sun, Parker Solar Probe encountered the specific magnetic and particle conditions at 18.8 solar radii that indicated that it penetrated theAlfvén surface;[87][88] the probe measured the solar wind plasma environment with its FIELDS and SWEAP instruments.[89] This event was described by NASA as "touching the Sun".[87]
On 25 September 2022, the first discovery of a comet was made in images from the Parker Solar Probe. The comet is named PSP-001. It was found by Peter Berrett, who participates in the NASA funded Sungrazer project.[90] PSP-001 was discovered in images from 29 May 2022, part of the spacecraft's 12th approach to the Sun.
Since this discovery, a further 19sungrazing comets have been discovered in the images taken by the Parker Solar Probe, including three non-group comets.
The PSP and ESA-NASASolar Orbiter (SolO) missions cooperated to trace solar wind and transients from their sources on the Sun to the inner interplanetary space.[94]
In 2022, PSP and SolO planners collaborated to study why the Sun's atmosphere is "150 times hotter" than its surface. SolO observed the Sun from 140 million kilometers, while PSP simultaneously observed the Sun's corona during flyby at a distance of nearly 9 million kilometers.[95][96]
In March 2024, both space probes were at their closest approaches to the Sun, PSP at 7.3 million km, and SolO at 45 million km. SolO observed the Sun, while PSP sampled the plasma of the solar wind, allowing scientists to compare data from both probes.[97]
Coordinated observations were also done withSOHO andSTEREO-A spacecraft.[98]
WISPR first light image. The right portion of the image is from WISPR's inner telescope, which is a 40-degree field of view and begins 58.5 degrees from the Sun's center. The left portion is from the outer telescope, which is a 58-degree field of view and ends about 160 degrees from the Sun.[99]
The view from the probe's WISPR instrument on Sept. 25, 2018, shows Earth, the bright sphere near the middle of the right-hand panel. The elongated mark toward the bottom of the panel is a lens reflection from the WISPR instrument[100]
Photo from the WISPR shows a coronal streamer, seen over the east limb of the Sun on Nov. 8, 2018, at 1:12 a.m. EST. The fine structure of the streamer is very clear, with at least two rays visible. Parker Solar Probe was about 16.9 million miles (21.2 million km) from the Sun's surface when this image was taken. The bright object near the center of the image is Mercury, and the dark spots are a result of background correction.[101]
When Parker Solar Probe was making its closest approach to the Sun on June 7, 2020, WISPR captured the planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn in its field of view[102]
Photo taken by the probe during its secondVenus flyby, July 2020
As Parker Solar Probe flew by Venus on its fourth flyby, its WISPR instrument captured these images, showing the nightside surface of the planet[103][104]
As the probe passed through the Sun's corona in early 2021, it flew by structures calledcoronal streamers (timelapse encompassing 4 days)
This video by WISPR during its record-breaking flyby of the Sun on Dec. 25, 2024, shows the solar wind racing out from the Sun's outer atmosphere, the corona.
^Mission planning used a perihelion of 9.5 R☉ (6.6 Gm; 4.1×10^6 mi), or 8.5 R☉ (5.9 Gm; 3.7×10^6 mi) altitude above the surface,[5] but later documents all say 9.86 R☉. The exact value was not finalized until the seventh Venus gravity assist in 2024. Mission planners might decide to alter it slightly before then.
^Fazekas, Andrew (September 10, 2010)."New NASA Probe to Dive-bomb the Sun".National Geographic. 21st Century Fox/National Geographic Society. Archived fromthe original on January 2, 2017. RetrievedJanuary 2, 2017.
^Landis, Geoffrey A.; et al. (July 28–30, 2008).Solar Power System Design for the Solar Probe+ Mission(PDF). 6th International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference. Cleveland, Ohio. AIAA 2008-5712.Archived(PDF) from the original on November 11, 2020. RetrievedJuly 25, 2018. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
^abcSee data and figure at"Solar Probe Plus: The Mission". Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. 2017.Archived from the original on August 22, 2017. RetrievedJune 17, 2017. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
^"HORIZONS System". Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA.Archived from the original on May 25, 2019. RetrievedAugust 16, 2018.Data file This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
^"Parker Solar Probe Gets Extra Observation Time".parkersolarprobe.jhuapl.edu. Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. August 16, 2018.Archived from the original on October 4, 2019. RetrievedSeptember 2, 2018. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
^"Parker Solar Probe Heads Toward Second Venus Flyby".Parker Solar Probe News Center. Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. November 20, 2018.Archived from the original on December 26, 2019. RetrievedDecember 23, 2019. Gives the time as "1:14 p.m. EST" and the distance of the flyby as "within 1870 miles". This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
^Wirzburger, John H (2024).Preparing for a Parker Solar Probe Extended Mission. AGU Fall Meeting 2024, Session: SPA-Solar and Heliospheric Physics / Parker Solar Probe's Furthest Descent into the Sun's Corona V Poster, Poster No. 2684, id. SH31F-2684.
^Biondo, Ruggero; et al. (December 2022). "Connecting Solar Orbiter remote-sensing observations and Parker Solar Probe in situ measurements with a numerical MHD reconstruction of the Parker spiral".Astronomy & Astrophysics.668: A144.arXiv:2211.12994.Bibcode:2022A&A...668A.144B.doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202244535. This article incorporates text from this source, which is available under theCC BY 4.0 license.
Missions are ordered by launch date.† indicates failure en route or before any data returned.‡ indicates use of the planet as agravity assist en route to another destination.
Launches are separated by dots ( • ), payloads by commas ( , ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ). Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses).
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![WISPR first light image. The right portion of the image is from WISPR's inner telescope, which is a 40-degree field of view and begins 58.5 degrees from the Sun's center. The left portion is from the outer telescope, which is a 58-degree field of view and ends about 160 degrees from the Sun.[99]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWISPR_first_light_image.png)
![The view from the probe's WISPR instrument on Sept. 25, 2018, shows Earth, the bright sphere near the middle of the right-hand panel. The elongated mark toward the bottom of the panel is a lens reflection from the WISPR instrument[100]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aParker-view-of-earth.jpg)
![Photo from the WISPR shows a coronal streamer, seen over the east limb of the Sun on Nov. 8, 2018, at 1:12 a.m. EST. The fine structure of the streamer is very clear, with at least two rays visible. Parker Solar Probe was about 16.9 million miles (21.2 million km) from the Sun's surface when this image was taken. The bright object near the center of the image is Mercury, and the dark spots are a result of background correction.[101]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aParker_Solar_Probe_coronal_stream_wispr-big_1-st_flyby.jpg)
![When Parker Solar Probe was making its closest approach to the Sun on June 7, 2020, WISPR captured the planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn in its field of view[102]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWispr_merged_six_planets.jpg)
![As Parker Solar Probe flew by Venus on its fourth flyby, its WISPR instrument captured these images, showing the nightside surface of the planet[103][104]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aParker_Solar_Probe_flew_by_Venus_on_its_fourth_flyby.gif)
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