Exploring the Sun: How spacecraft can touch the Sun without melting
The Sun is one of the most powerful and intense sources of heat and radiation in our solar system, with temperatures reaching millions of degrees Celsius at its core. So, it is a wonder how a spacecraft can approach and touch the Sun without being destroyed or melting. The answer lies in the technology and materials used to build these spacecraft, as well as the unique environment around the Sun. One of the most well-known spacecraft to approach the Sun is NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, which launched in 2018 with the primary mission of studying the Sun’s corona and solar wind. The spacecraft will make multiple passes around the Sun, eventually coming as close as 3.8 million miles to its surface - closer than any spacecraft has ever come before. To withstand the intense heat and radiation from the Sun, the Parker Solar Probe is equipped with a variety of advanced materials and technologies. One of the key materials used is a heat shield made of a carbon composite material that can w...