NASA's Parker Solar Probe Mission
Mission Overview:-
Parker solar probe would travel through the Sun’s atmosphere, closer to the surface than any spacecraft before it. It would provide us with the closest observation of the sun.
Scientist Behind The Probe's Name:-
Eugene Parker was the first scientist who proposed a number of concepts about how stars — including our sun — give off energy. He named this release of energy as solar wind. He also described an entire complex system of plasmas, magnetic fields and energetic particles that make up this phenomenon. He also gave the explanation about the superheated solar corona. Parker suggested that regular, but small, solar explosions called nanoflares could, in enough abundance, cause this heating.
Journey To The Sun:-
- Parker Solar Probe will launch with the Delta IV Heavy rocket which is second most powerful rocket in operation.
- Spacecraft would have to fly against the velocity of earth(i.e 30 km/s around the sun).
- It would require primary three core booster and second stage ignition.
- Then it would require to decelerate to fall toward the sun.
- Third kick stage would allow it to fly by venus.
- 7 Fly by around venus that will decelerate the spacecraft even further.
- Ultimately descending within 4 million miles of the solar surface.
When Parker slings around the sun at closest approach, it will hit a blistering speed of 430,000 mph relative to the sun.
Shield Of Protection:-
Parker Solar Probe will travel through sun's corona(superheated plasma stretching millions of miles from the solar surface). To Protect the spacecraft in such harsh conditions, the probe will carry a composite heat shield. This shield is light enough to launch, strong enough to withstand the launch and has enough heat resistance to guard it against the sun.
Shield is made with two sheets of carbon-reinforced-carbon with about 4.5 inches of carbon foam in between. It can withstand temperatures as high as 2500 degree F. To build the heat shield, NASA manufactured sheets of carbon fiber and impregnative the substance with resin filled with "chopped up carbon fibers," letting the resin harden before burning it off in a 3,000-degree oven and repeating the process four or five times.
Solar Panel Protection:-
Panels are laid up on a titanium platen, and it has very thin tubes built into them which helps the water circulation... back through a manifold and then through a pump and up into radiators that pick up the heat from the solar panel and radiate that heat to deep space.
The cooling system on the spacecraft has got about 6,000 watts of cooling capacity. This is perhaps the most efficient liquid cooling system ever devised. The cooling system will use about a gallon of water, deionized to prevent corrosion and pressurized to raise the boiling point to about 150 degrees Celsius. To prevent it from freezing after launch or boiling near the sun, team has taken required measures.
The solar panels will hide from the direct fury of the sun as the spacecraft loops in for its 24 close passes. The solar panels will fold behind the heat shield on closest approach, exposing only a small portion of the cells to the sun at a sharp angle.
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