NASA announces a great mission: Exploring the Sun in a hot 1,400 degree C hot pan

At 22:00 pm on May 31, 2017, NASA press conference officially started. This is the first time the US space agency has released details of NASA's closest sun mission in history.

In the framework of the third press conference since the beginning of 2017, five experts from NASA, the University of Chicago and Johns Hopkins University will reveal details of the mission to fly straight to the Sun's atmospheric atmosphere. Solar Plus - Solar Probe Plus (SPP).

Experts attend NASA press conference, including:

Experts attend the press conference.

NASA press conference officially began

Mr. Rocky Kolb, head of the Department of Physics at the University of Chicago (USA) introduced the composition of experts attending the press conference.

Speaking at the opening of the press conference, Eric Isaacs, Vice President of the Center for Research and Innovation at the University of Chicago, said six decades have passed, the secret surrounding the Sun has yet to be discovered by humans. over. However, the high amount of heat along with the giant radiation does not prevent us from discovering this fireball.

NASA's SPP launch project in 2018 demonstrates the Solar System's ambition to conquer the "fastidious" central star.

This is the first time in history that NASA has collaborated with the University of Chicago and Johns Hopkins to launch the mission to launch the SPP probe closest to the Sun, in order to discover the great secrets at the central star of the Surface System. God.

As we know, the Sun is the closest star to the Earth in the Milky Way, with surface temperatures of up to 5505 degrees Celsius and solar core temperatures of about 15 million degrees Celsius, the approach to this planet is not simple.

The launch of SPP, NASA's multi-billion dollar "machine , " flies directly into the Sun's coronary ring in 2018, becoming a revolution in studying the surface of the Sun as well as the Sun's wind - element Great impact on people and life on Earth, as well as impact on the mission of astronauts and space satellites.

Structure and function of SPP Solar probe.

Thomas Zurbuchen, Deputy Director of NASA's Science Mission, said: NASA will launch the SPP solar exploration vessel from July 31, 2018 to August 19, 2018, approaching the coronary rim. , (the outer atmosphere of the Sun, the birthplace of the solar wind).

Mr. Thomas Zurbuchen affirmed that once he understands the secrets of the solar wind, the scientific community can solve decades-long questions about their impact on our planet.

Thereby, NASA hopes, after this billions of projects, scientists can use the SPP data to complete space science missions, including:

• Determine the structure and dynamics of the magnetic field of the solar wind.
• Monitor the flow of energy to heat the corona and accelerate the solar wind.
• Identify mechanisms to accelerate and transport electrical molecules.
• Explore plasma dust near the Sun and its effect on the solar wind.

After listening to veteran space scientist Eugene Parker, Nicola Fox, female project scientist at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, said:

"After being launched, SPP will have to spend nearly seven years to orbit Venus to establish a stable trajectory before approaching the Sun's corona at the nearest distance, 6.4 million from the Sun's surface. kilometer.

Unlike any space exploration ship in history, in order to carry out the task of approaching the Sun, the SPP probe requires the ability to withstand the radiation and thousands of degrees Celsius of the Sun " .

Structure of the Sun.

At a distance of more than 6 million kilometers, the SPP Sun probe has to suffer from heat up to 1,400 degrees Celsius .

In order to "survive" in front of the " heat " and radiation from the Sun, Johns Hopkins University aviation engineers must design a heat-resistant shield and sheathing made from a mixture. carbon composite, nearly 12cm thick, is able to withstand the heat of 1,400 degrees C released from the Sun, as well as the "deadly" radioactive streams 500 times higher than no other spacecraft has ever experienced. when turning around Earth's orbit.

This is a technological breakthrough reinforced by the heat-resistant technology of the MESSENGER spacecraft explored by NASA on August 3, 2004.

End of the press conference

Speaking at the end of the press conference, Mr. Thomas Zurbuchen said:

"If 43 years ago, the Sun exploration spacecraft project was named Helios 1 (launched in 1974) and Helios 2 (launched in 1976) by NASA in cooperation with the West German Space Agency. People approaching the Sun at a distance of more than 43 million kilometers, with the 2018 SPP launch plan, more than 6 million kilometers from the Sun, will mark the closest mission to "fireball" in history. NASA's in particular and humanity say them.

When approaching the Sun in the coronary zone, the SPP probe will fly at tremendous speeds: 200 km / sec, 3 times faster than the speed of Helios 2 spacecraft that once set a record in the past.

Six decades have passed since humans stepped out into space, we are constantly researching and exploring planets in the Solar System.

Since the discovery of the Sun was initiated by scientists at the University of Chicago, after the Helios 1 and 2 projects, NASA and experts at the two universities of Chicago and Johns Hopkins have collaborated with them now. each other in the mission to approach the Sun at the closest distance in human history.

Soon, we humans will "Touch the sun" "!

About Solar Probe Plus Solar Probe (SPP)

Solar Probe Plus.

• Name: Solar Probe Plus or Solar Probe + , formerly NASA Solar Probe.
• Investment costs: 1.2 billion USD to 1.4 billion USD.
• Release date: Between July 31, 2018 and August 19, 2018, Delta IV Heavy (Delta 9250H) boosters were used.
• Total mission time: 6 years + 321 days.
• Weight: Heavy nearly 600kg, 1 meter wide, 3 meters high.
• Use of solar energy
• Approaching the Sun for the first time: Expected on December 19, 2024.

How will NASA's "Solar Touch" plan be conducted?