Jump to content

Parker Solar Probe

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 206.116.3.93 (talk) at 21:06, 28 September 2016 (→Trajectory and mission). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Not to be confused with Solar Orbiter.
Parker Solar Probe
Digital model of a spacecraft with a hexagonal bus and large heat shield oriented to the surface of the sun
Artist’s impression of NASA’s Solar Probe Plus spacecraft on approach to the sun.
NamesSolar Probe+
NASA Solar Probe
Mission typeSolar heliophysics orbiter
OperatorNASA / Applied Physics Laboratory
COSPAR ID2018-065A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.43592Edit this on Wikidata
Websitesolarprobe.jhuapl.edu
Mission duration6 years, 321 days (planned)
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerApplied Physics Laboratory
Launch mass610 kg
Dry mass555 kg
Payload mass~50 kg
Dimensions1 m wide, 3 m tall, 2.3 m heat shield
Power343 Watts at closest approach
Start of mission
Launch dateJuly 31, 2018 (2018-07-31) (planned).[1]
RocketDelta IV Heavy
Launch siteCape Canaveral SLC-37
Orbital parameters
Reference systemHeliocentric
Perihelion altitude6.0 Gm (3,700,000 mi)
Aphelion altitude109.3 Gm (67,900,000 mi)
Inclination3.4°
Period88 days
Flyby of Venus
Closest approachSeptember 27, 2018
Flyby of Venus
Closest approachDecember 21, 2019
Flyby of Venus
Closest approachJuly 5, 2020
Flyby of Venus
Closest approachFebruary 15, 2021
Flyby of Venus
Closest approachOctober 10, 2021
Flyby of Venus
Closest approachAugust 15, 2023
Flyby of Venus
Closest approachOctober 31, 2024
Sun orbiter
Orbital insertionDecember 19, 2024 (first close approach)
Transponders
BandKa band
X band
Instruments
SWEAP suite: Solar Wind Electrons Alphas and Protons Investigation
SPC: Solar Probe Cup
SPAN: Solar Probe Analyzers
WISPR: Wide-field Imager for Solar Probe
FIELDS suite: Electromagnetic Fields Investigation
Electric Field Antennas (4)
Fluxgate Magnetometers (2)
Search Coil Magnetometer
ISIS‒EPI suite: Integrated Science Investigation of the Sun Energetic Particle Instruments
I‒EPI‒Hi: ISIS Energetic Particle Instrument — High
I‒EPI‒Lo: ISIS Energetic Particle Instrument — Low

Solar Probe Plus or Solar Probe+, previously NASA Solar Probe, is a planned robotic spacecraft to probe the outer corona of the Sun.[3] It will approach to within 8.5 solar radii (5.9 million kilometers or 3.67 million miles) to the 'surface' (photosphere) of the Sun.[3] The project was announced as a new mission start in the fiscal 2009 budget year. On May 1, 2008 Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory announced it will design and build the spacecraft, on a schedule to launch it in 2015.[4] The launch date has since been pushed back to 2018,[5] with the Delta IV Heavy as the launch vehicle.[1]

Apparent size of the Sun as seen from the orbit of Solar Probe Plus compared to its apparent size seen from Earth.

Trajectory and mission

Early conceptual designs for the Solar Probe mission used a gravity assist maneuver at Jupiter to cancel the orbital speed of the probe launched from Earth, in order to drop onto a trajectory close to the Sun. The Solar Probe Plus mission design simplifies this trajectory by using repeated gravity assists at Venus, to incrementally decrease the orbital perihelion to achieve multiple passes to approximately 8.5 solar radii, or about 6,000,000 km (3,700,000 mi).[6]

The mission is designed to survive the harsh environment near the Sun, where the incident solar intensity is approximately 520 times the intensity at Earth orbit, by the use of a solar shadow-shield. The solar shield, at the front of the spacecraft, is made of reinforced carbon-carbon composite. The spacecraft systems, and the scientific instruments, are located in the umbra of the shield, where direct light from the sun is fully blocked. The primary power for the mission will be by use of a dual system of photovoltaic arrays. A primary photovoltaic array, used for the portion of the mission outside 0.25 AU, is retracted behind the shadow shield during the close approach to the Sun, and a much smaller secondary array powers the spacecraft through closest approach. This secondary array uses pumped-fluid cooling to maintain operating temperature.[7]

As the probe passes around the Sun, it will achieve a velocity of up to 200 km/s (120 mi/s) at that time making it the fastest manmade object ever, almost three times faster than the current record holder, Juno.[8]

Scientific goals

  • Determine the structure and dynamics of the magnetic fields at the sources of solar wind.
  • Trace the flow of energy that heats the corona and accelerates the solar wind.
  • Determine what mechanisms accelerate and transport energetic particles.
  • Explore dusty plasma near the Sun and its influence on solar wind and energetic particle formation.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Clark, Stephen (Mar 18, 2015). "Delta 4-Heavy selected for launch of solar probe". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved Mar 18, 2015.
  2. ^ Applied Physics Laboratory (19 November 2008). "Feasible Mission Designs for Solar Probe Plus to Launch in 2015, 2016, 2017, or 2018" (.PDF). Johns Hopkins University. Retrieved 2010-02-27. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ a b Tony Phillips. "NASA Plans to Visit the Sun". NASA. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
  4. ^ M. Buckley (2008-05-01). "NASA Calls on APL to Send a Probe to the Sun". Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
  5. ^ M. Buckley (2012-03-05). "NASA Solar Study Mission Moves to Next Design Stage". Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
  6. ^ "Solar Probe Plus: A NASA Mission to Touch the Sun:". JHU/APL. 4 September 2010. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
  7. ^ G.A. Landis, P. C. Schmitz, J. Kinnison, M. Fraeman, L. Fourbert, S. Vernon and M. Wirzburger, "Solar Power System Design for the Solar Probe+ Mission," AIAA Paper-2008-5712, International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, Cleveland OH, 28–30 July 2008.
  8. ^ Greicius, Tony (2015-02-13). "Juno". Retrieved 2016-09-28.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Solar Probe +.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Parker_Solar_Probe&oldid=741651186"