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Parker Solar Probe

active
Science ExplorationinterplanetaryCOSPAR 2018-065ALaunched 8/12/2018
Admin Edit
Mission & Launch
Launch Mission
Parker Solar Probe Mission
Launch Vehicle
Delta 4H
Launch Date
8/12/2018
Orbit & Mass
Orbit Class
interplanetary
Altitude
-8,992.5 km
Inclination
32.95 deg
Dry Mass
605 kg
Total Mass
685 kg
Payload Classification
Mission Type
Science Exploration
Payload Category
PLAN
Payload Class
C
Organizations
Operator
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Manufacturer
Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab
Registry
COSPAR ID
2018-065A
UN Registration
ST/SG/SER.E/877
Track
Mentions
47
All verified mentions of this spacecraft in source documents.
0.0-5.0
Actions

Parker Solar Probe will pass 6.1 million kilometers from the sun at 6:53 a.m. Eastern on 2024-12-24.

PlanValue 4.0Dec 22, 2024Parker Solar Probe to make closest approach yet to the sun

Parker Solar Probe launched in 2018.

Plan
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General
Value 3.0
Dec 22, 2024
Parker Solar Probe to make closest approach yet to the sun

The Parker Solar Probe thermal protection system is performing better than expected and is experiencing lower temperatures than it was designed and tested for.

CapabilityGeneralValue 3.5Dec 22, 2024Parker Solar Probe to make closest approach yet to the sun

The final Venus flyby on 2024-11-06 set up Parker Solar Probe for its 2024-12-24 perihelion.

PlanValue 4.0Dec 22, 2024Parker Solar Probe to make closest approach yet to the sun

Delta IV launched NASA’s first Orion spacecraft on an uncrewed flight test and launched the Parker Solar Probe.

GeneralValue 4.0Apr 3, 2024Fingers crossed for Tuesday’s ULA grand finale launch of Delta IV Heavy carrying the NROL-70 mission

Parker Solar Probe was launched in 2018.

PlanValue 4.0Dec 11, 20232024 promises opportunities to study the solar corona

Parker Solar Probe’s closest solar approach is set for 2024-12-24 at 6.1 million kilometers from the sun’s surface.

PlanValue 4.0Dec 11, 20232024 promises opportunities to study the solar corona

The 2023-08-21 flyby was Parker Solar Probe’s sixth of seven planned Venus gravity assists.

PlanCapabilityValue 3.8Aug 25, 2023Venus Flyby of NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Sets Course for Record-Setting Flights Around the Sun

The Venus flyby applied a velocity change (delta-V) that reduced Parker Solar Probe’s orbital speed by about 5,1500 km per hour (9,547 km per hour).

CapabilityValue 4.5Aug 25, 2023Venus Flyby of NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Sets Course for Record-Setting Flights Around the Sun

On each perihelion, Parker Solar Probe will come within 4.5 million miles (7.3 million kilometers) of the solar surface and will travel at speeds close to 394,1287 km per hour.

CapabilityGeneralValue 4.0Aug 25, 2023Venus Flyby of NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Sets Course for Record-Setting Flights Around the Sun

Parker Solar Probe flew past Venus on 2023-08-21 to use the planet’s gravity to aim toward a record-setting series of flights around the Sun starting next month.

PlanGeneralValue 4.5Aug 25, 2023Venus Flyby of NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Sets Course for Record-Setting Flights Around the Sun

The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory designed, built, and operates Parker Solar Probe and manages the mission for NASA.

CapabilityRelationshipsValue 4.6Aug 25, 2023Venus Flyby of NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Sets Course for Record-Setting Flights Around the Sun

Rocket Lab provided power to NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, which launched in 2018 and is the first mission to approach the Sun closely.

RelationshipsGeneralValue 3.8Jun 9, 2022Rocket Lab selected by Ball Aerospace for solar empowerment of NASA’s GLIDE spacecraft

The final gravity assist maneuver for Parker Solar Probe is scheduled for 6 November 2024.

PlanValue 4.5Feb 13, 2022NASA Space Probe Unexpectedly Glimpses The Surface of Venus in Stunning New First

NASA's Parker Solar Probe has captured images revealing the surface of Venus beneath its toxic clouds.

CapabilityGeneralValue 3.0Feb 13, 2022NASA Space Probe Unexpectedly Glimpses The Surface of Venus in Stunning New First

The Wide-field Imager for Parker Solar Probe (WISPR) instrument enabled scientists to observe geological features on Venus, including highlands, plateaus, and plains.

CapabilityGeneralValue 3.0Feb 13, 2022NASA Space Probe Unexpectedly Glimpses The Surface of Venus in Stunning New First

Parker Solar Probe is using Venus to perform gravity assist maneuvers for its solar mission.

CapabilityPlanValue 3.0Feb 13, 2022NASA Space Probe Unexpectedly Glimpses The Surface of Venus in Stunning New First

The flyby of Parker Solar Probe last year revealed a region called Aphrodite Terra, the largest highland region on Venus.

GeneralValue 3.5Feb 13, 2022NASA Space Probe Unexpectedly Glimpses The Surface of Venus in Stunning New First

Parker Solar Probe is scheduled to conduct a total of seven gravity assist maneuvers, with five completed so far.

PlanCapabilityValue 4.0Feb 13, 2022NASA Space Probe Unexpectedly Glimpses The Surface of Venus in Stunning New First

The Frontier-S by Rocket Lab is based on the APL Frontier Radio that flew on missions such as the Van Allen Probes, Parker Solar Probe, and the Emirates Mars Mission.

CapabilityValue 3.4Nov 23, 2021Rocket Lab’s Exclusive License From Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory To Manufacture Space Radio Technology