• NASA's Parker Solar Probe is set to make a historic flyby of the Sun on Christmas Eve.
• The probe, launched in 2018, will come as close as 6.1 million kilometers from the Sun's surface.
• The probe has already completed 21 close approaches to the Sun and seven flybys of Venus.
• The mission aims to understand the Sun's mysteries and its impact on space weather.

NASA's Parker Solar Probe is on course to make history. On Christmas Eve, the probe is expected to make its record flyby of the Sun, coming as close as 6.1 million kilometers from the Sun's surface. This marks the first of its three final and closest approaches to the Sun, a mission that has been in the making since the probe's launch in 2018. The Parker Solar Probe, named after astrophysicist Eugene Newman Parker who proposed several concepts about how stars give off energy, is in good health and operating normally.

The mission operators at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Maryland received a beacon transmission from Parker, through NASA's Deep Space Network complex in Canberra, Australia, confirming its status. No human-made object has ever passed this close to a star, said Nick Pinkine, Parker Solar Probe mission operations manager at APL. This mission will provide unprecedented data from uncharted territory, as the spacecraft will not be in contact with mission operations during its closest approach or perihelion.

The Journey So Far

The Parker Solar Probe has already completed 21 close approaches to the Sun, with the 21st close approach made on September 30. The spacecraft has also zoomed past Venus seven times, using its gravity to aim towards a record-setting series of flights around the Sun. On November 6, Parker completed its seventh and final Venus gravity-assist maneuver, passing within 387 kilometers of Venus' surface.

The probe is equipped with a 4.5-inch-thick heat shield made of a carbon-composite material, which can withstand temperatures up to 2,500 F. This allows the spacecraft instruments to maintain a comfortable temperature, despite its proximity to our roiling star. The Parker Solar Probe's mission is not just about setting records. It is about understanding the Sun's mysteries and its impact on space weather, which can damage satellites, knock out power grids, and supercharge the northern lights on Earth.

Unraveling the Sun's Mysteries

The probe's Wide-Field Imager has already captured stunning images of Venus' surface, revealing a glowing surface due to its extreme temperatures. The probe's mission is also about understanding the solar wind, the cascade of energy streaming from the sun. This was a concept proposed by Eugene Newman Parker in the 1950s. The probe's findings will provide a clearer understanding of how the sun and its dynamic heliosphere works.

The Parker Solar Probe's mission is a testament to the importance of Parker's body of work, founding a new field of science that continues to inspire research and many important science questions NASA continues to study and further understand every day. The Parker Solar Probe's mission is a significant milestone in our understanding of the Sun. It is a testament to the advancements in technology and our relentless pursuit of knowledge about the universe.

As we await the data from this historic flyby, we are reminded of the vastness of our universe and our continuous efforts to unravel its mysteries. This mission is not just about setting records, but about expanding our understanding of the universe and our place within it. The data gathered from this mission will undoubtedly provide invaluable insights into the Sun's mysteries, paving the way for future explorations and discoveries.