The Parker Solar Probe POT has achieved an unprecedented milestone by overcome the barrier of 600,000 km/h on its last approach to the Sun. This feat makes the probe the fastest object ever built by humanity.
As you remember XatakaOn September 27, the probe completed its seventeenth approach to the Sun, and due to the gravitational influence of the star, it reached an impressive speed of 635,266 km/h, as confirmed by mission controllers.
This achievement marks a significant increase in the speed of the probe, which had previously reached 586,863 km/h on a previous approach in November 2021. Each of these passages progressively brings the probe closer to the Sun and propels it at speeds each ever more amazing.
Distance record
In addition to the speed record, this seventeenth approach set a new distance record. At its closest point to the Sun, known as perihelion, the probe was just 7.26 million kilometers from the solar surface, a shorter distance than any other spacecraft has ever reached.
The Parker solar probe, which delves into regions of the solar environment of great scientific interest, has survived violent events that have allowed scientists to better understand the structure of the solar wind and discover unknown details of magnetic fields.
The probe’s carbon heat shield, capable of withstanding temperatures of up to 1,377 degrees Celsius, is critical to its survival. This shield reflects some of the solar thermal radiation and protects a variety of instruments that measure electric and magnetic fields, detect solar particles, and capture high-resolution images of the Sun and other objects.