NASA Sends Spacecraft to Penetrate the Sun's Atmosphere

The US Space Agency will launch the Parker Solar Probe spacecraft which was successfully launched last Sunday (12/8).

Parker was sent by NASA as the first mission to penetrate the sun's atmosphere called the corona, with the help of the United Launch Alliance's Delta IV Heavy rocket. It is said that Parker would be the man-made spacecraft closest to the sun.

According to lead scientist Parker Solar Probe Nicky Fox, said if the aircraft used was designed it could at least reach the Sun corona point.

"Corona is the main 'key' to all the mysteries of the Sun that scientists have debated for decades. We hope Parker can penetrate and study it, "Fox said.

According to Fox the plane can survive to extreme temperatures of up to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit (around 1,371 degrees Celsius). The aircraft will be tasked with collecting data to be studied on earth at a distance of 89 million miles to help researchers observe the characteristics of the Sun's atmosphere and corona.

"To reach the closest distance to the Sun is not an easy matter." The reason is, it is not an easy matter to fly a special vehicle into the Sun orbit because besides heat, supersonic particles can be dangerous, "said Parker Solar Probe system engineer Jim Kinnison.

What NASA has revealed is because the earth moves very fast around 107.8 thousand km / hour. To get to the Sun, Parker must move in the opposite direction to the movement of the earth.

According to NASA, Parker will move at a speed of around 692 thousand km / hour and that will make it the fastest vehicle ever. Korona has a temperature of 300 times hotter than the surface of the Sun which is considered by scientists to be unreasonable, besides that NASA will find out how the corona often releases sparks outside the Sun.

Parker's launch of the Delta IV Heavy rocket was delayed. The launch was scheduled for the previous day on Saturday (11/8). But quoted from CNet, when the rocket was ready to launch from launchpad, the countdown had stopped two times because of a technical error.