Parker Solar Probe Mission

The Parker Solar Probe is a NASA spacecraft launched in 2018 to study the Sun up close. Its mission is to explore the Sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the corona, to better understand solar wind and solar activity that affect Earth’s space environment. By flying closer to the Sun than any previous spacecraft—within about 4 million miles—it gathers data on solar particles, magnetic fields, and temperature. This helps scientists understand how the Sun works and improves predictions of solar storms, ultimately protecting satellites, power grids, and astronauts.