Solar probe Parker flies Venus

Solar probe Parker flies Venus

The NASA illustration shows how the Parker spacecraft is approaching the Sun. Launched in August 2018, the probe will receive gravitational assistance on October 3, 2018, since it will fly 1500 miles away from Venus. This is the first of seven maneuvers that bring it closer to the Sun.

NASA Parker's solar probe flies past Venus on a journey to the star of our system. Launched in August, the spacecraft on October 3 received gravitational assistance (the gravitational slingshot) from Venus, flying from it at a distance of 2400 km. This is the first of 7 such maneuvers that will allow Parker to get closer to the Sun.

By the end of October, the probe will break the record for close access to the Sun, set by the NASA spacecraft in 1976 (43 million km). In November, Parker is suitable for 25 million km from the solar surface. 24 orbits, designed for 7 years, will help to plunge into the upper stellar atmosphere (the crown). As a result, the probe will reduce the distance to 6 million km.

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