Parker survives first close solar fly-by
The Parker Solar Probe has successfully survived its first close fly-by of the Sun.
Mission controllers at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab received the status beacon from the spacecraft at 4:46 p.m. EST on Nov. 7, 2018. The beacon indicates status “A” — the best of all four possible status signals, meaning that Parker Solar Probe is operating well with all instruments running and collecting science data and, if there were any minor issues, they were resolved autonomously by the spacecraft.
At its closest approach on Nov. 5, called perihelion, Parker Solar Probe reached a top speed of 213,200 miles per hour, setting a new record for spacecraft speed. Along with new records for the closest approach to the Sun, Parker Solar Probe will repeatedly break its own speed record as its orbit draws closer to the star and the spacecraft travels faster and faster at perihelion.
It will be several weeks before they can download all the data gathered during this first fly-by.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
The Parker Solar Probe has successfully survived its first close fly-by of the Sun.
Mission controllers at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab received the status beacon from the spacecraft at 4:46 p.m. EST on Nov. 7, 2018. The beacon indicates status “A” — the best of all four possible status signals, meaning that Parker Solar Probe is operating well with all instruments running and collecting science data and, if there were any minor issues, they were resolved autonomously by the spacecraft.
At its closest approach on Nov. 5, called perihelion, Parker Solar Probe reached a top speed of 213,200 miles per hour, setting a new record for spacecraft speed. Along with new records for the closest approach to the Sun, Parker Solar Probe will repeatedly break its own speed record as its orbit draws closer to the star and the spacecraft travels faster and faster at perihelion.
It will be several weeks before they can download all the data gathered during this first fly-by.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Very nice video at the NASA link!
pivoting–
(Impress your friends…)
“Why Won’t it Melt? How NASA’s Solar Probe will Survive the Sun”
NASA/Goddard July 2018
https://youtu.be/TN6rZF5dSRg
2:54
Thanks Wayne!
Nice video
I wonder what their recorded temps were and what the “in shadow” temp were be
Chris–
I was wondering the exact same thing.
Also–how much physical memory does Parker have on board, and at what point in the orbit do they start sending back data?
And—is the water cooling system passive or pumped?
A repeat from me off a previous Parker thread–Cobham plc– is the supplier of the radiation hardened electronics on board-
https://www.cobham.com/advanced-electronic-solutions/semiconductor-solutions/news/cobham-s-radiation-hardened-and-high-reliability-microelectronics-technology-enables-nasa-s-parker-solar-probe/
Parker Solar Probe–Mission Overview
nasa/goddard july 2018
https://youtu.be/i_z19KPvV1w
3:31
Factoid: cooling system is using 1 gallon of water.
5 Years Of Sun:
Our Star’s Best Close-Ups
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory 2015
https://youtu.be/aSIDelAAHiA
4:36
and, just for fun—
Star Trek DS-9:
Destruction of the Monac Shipyards
https://youtu.be/e6LlLARRJfo
3:16