No, we don’t mean solar-powered missions, though solar power has been a mainstay of NASA vehicles for ages. We mean missions to the sun.
Officially dubbed the Solar Probe Plus, the purpose of the 2018-scheduled odyssey is straightforward enough: studying the sun’s surface. This has been impossible for decades simply because no spacecraft was available strong enough to resist the sun’s withering radiation.
Not anymore. Though specific materials haven’t been revealed, the dainty probe (no larger than a Volkswagen Beetle) carries two sets of arrays. One is going to power its trip while its liquid-cooled heat-resistant sibling goes into action once it’s in place some 3.7 million miles from the sun’s boiling surface.
Technological Innovations and Challenges
The Solar Probe Plus mission represents a significant leap in space exploration technology. The spacecraft is designed to withstand temperatures exceeding 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit, thanks to its advanced heat shield made from a carbon-composite material. This heat shield, known as the Thermal Protection System (TPS), is only 4.5 inches thick but is capable of protecting the instruments on board from the intense heat and radiation of the sun.
The probe’s primary scientific goals include understanding the structure and dynamics of the sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the corona, and investigating the origins of the solar wind. The solar wind is a stream of charged particles released from the upper atmosphere of the sun, which can have profound effects on space weather and, consequently, on satellite communications and power grids on Earth.
Scientific Objectives and Potential Discoveries
One of the most intriguing aspects of the Solar Probe Plus mission is its potential to answer long-standing questions about solar physics. For instance, scientists hope to understand why the corona is significantly hotter than the sun’s surface. The sun’s surface, or photosphere, has a temperature of about 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit, while the corona can reach temperatures of several million degrees. This temperature discrepancy has puzzled scientists for decades.
Additionally, the probe aims to study the mechanisms that accelerate solar wind particles to high speeds. Understanding these processes could provide valuable insights into space weather phenomena, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections, which can disrupt satellite operations and even power grids on Earth.
The mission also includes a suite of scientific instruments designed to measure the electric and magnetic fields, plasma waves, and energetic particles in the sun’s vicinity. These instruments will provide unprecedented data that could lead to groundbreaking discoveries in solar science.
But the trip remains fraught with peril for the simple fact that it’s going to test how durable NASA technology is when bombarded by solar radiation. With no previous experience to serve as a learning curve and a current budget that’s a far cry from its glory days, NASA sure has a tall order ahead of it. That is, unless either the revamped space programs of Russia or China triggers healthy competition.
The Solar Probe Plus mission, now known as the Parker Solar Probe, is a testament to human ingenuity and the relentless pursuit of knowledge. It embodies the spirit of exploration that has driven humanity to reach for the stars and beyond. As the probe embarks on its perilous journey to the sun, it carries with it the hopes and dreams of scientists and space enthusiasts worldwide.
Via Dvice
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