Daily Current Affairs : 28-December-2024

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has made headlines by breaking a historic record. Recently, it flew closer to the Sun than any other man-made object, reaching speeds of up to 430,000 miles per hour (mph). This remarkable spacecraft also withstood temperatures as high as 982°C (1,800°F), making it a significant achievement in space exploration.

Key Facts About the Parker Solar Probe

Overview of the Mission:

  • Launch Year: The Parker Solar Probe was launched in 2018 as a groundbreaking mission to study the Sun.
  • Size and Name: The spacecraft is about the size of a car and is named after Eugene Newman Parker, an American astrophysicist who made important contributions to our understanding of solar winds. It is also the first NASA mission to be named after a living researcher.
  • Closest Approach: The mission aims to approach as close as 3.8 million miles to the Sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the corona, making it the closest any spacecraft has ever been to the Sun.

Key Features:

  • Heat Shield: One of the probe’s most impressive features is its advanced carbon-composite heat shield, designed to withstand extreme heat from the Sun.
  • Speed and Distance: The spacecraft travels at speeds up to 430,000 mph, enabling it to make fast and efficient passes near the Sun.
Main Objectives of the Parker Solar Probe

The Parker Solar Probe has several important scientific goals that could revolutionize our understanding of the Sun and space weather.

  • Study of the Solar Corona: One of the main objectives is to explore the Sun’s corona and investigate why it is significantly hotter than the Sun’s surface.
  • Solar Wind Research: The probe seeks to understand the source and behavior of solar winds, which are high-speed streams of charged particles. These winds affect space weather, influencing satellite operations, power grids, and even astronauts in space.
  • Plasma and Magnetic Fields: The probe aims to examine the structure and dynamics of plasma and magnetic fields, especially at the origin points of solar winds.
  • Energetic Particles: Another goal is to explore the processes that accelerate and transport energetic particles, which are crucial for understanding space weather events like solar flares and coronal mass ejections.
Important Points:
  • Historic Achievement: Parker Solar Probe flew closer to the Sun than any other man-made object, reaching speeds of 430,000 mph and withstanding temperatures up to 982°C.
  • Launch Details: Launched in 2018, the spacecraft is named after American astrophysicist Eugene Newman Parker.
  • First of Its Kind: The Parker Solar Probe is NASA’s first mission named after a living researcher.
  • Closest Approach: The probe is designed to approach within 3.8 million miles of the Sun’s corona, the closest any spacecraft has ever been.
  • Advanced Technology: It uses a carbon-composite heat shield to survive extreme heat from the Sun.
  • Main Objectives:
    • Study the Sun’s corona and understand why it is hotter than the Sun’s surface.
    • Investigate the origins of solar winds, which impact space weather.
    • Analyze the structure and dynamics of plasma and magnetic fields near the Sun.
    • Explore how energetic particles are accelerated and transported from the Sun.
Why In News

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe recently set a historic record by flying closer to the Sun than any other man-made object, reaching speeds of 430,000 mph and withstanding temperatures up to 982°C, marking a monumental achievement in space exploration and advancing our understanding of the Sun’s behavior and influence on the solar system.

MCQs about Parker Solar Probe
  1. What was the historic achievement of NASA’s Parker Solar Probe?
    A. It flew to the Moon
    B. It became the fastest spacecraft ever built
    C. It flew closer to the Sun than any other man-made object
    D. It landed on Mars
  2. In which year was the Parker Solar Probe launched?
    A. 2015
    B. 2018
    C. 2020
    D. 2022
  3. What is the primary objective of the Parker Solar Probe’s mission?
    A. To explore Mars
    B. To study the Sun’s corona and solar winds
    C. To collect asteroid samples
    D. To send humans to the Sun
  4. What special technology does the Parker Solar Probe use to protect itself from extreme heat?
    A. Solar panels
    B. Carbon-composite heat shield
    C. Water cooling system
    D. Magnetic field generator

Boost up your confidence by appearing our Weekly Current Affairs Multiple Choice Questions

Loading