Parker Solar Probe Set for Historic Venus Flyby Ahead of Record Sun Approach

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is on the verge of a historic milestone, as it prepares to execute its final flyby of Venus on November 6, 2024. This maneuver is not just a mere gravitational assist; it’s a step towards unlocking the mysteries of our sun, setting the stage for the probe to make unprecedented observations during its closest approach to our star.

Flying within 233 miles (376 km) of Venus’ surface, Parker will alter its trajectory into a final orbit that brings it within an astonishing 3.86 million miles of the Sun on December 24, 2024. This will mark the closest any human-made object has ever come to our star, an achievement that has been over 65 years in the making. Such proximity to the Sun offers an extraordinary opportunity to study the solar atmosphere, an area this is still largely uncharted territory for science. This isn’t just a scientific endeavor; it is a testament to human ingenuity and our unyielding curiosity about the cosmos.

The Parker Solar Probe’s journey is enhanced by the science gleaned from its previous encounters with Venus. During its third flyby on July 11, 2020, the probe utilized its Wide-Field Imager for Parker Solar Probe (WISPR) in an unexpected manner. Initially intended to observe solar wind structures, WISPR turned its gaze towards Venus, revealing striking details about the planet’s thick cloud cover and even glimpses of its hot, molten surface. In the words of Noam Izenberg from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, “The WISPR cameras can see through the clouds to the surface of Venus, which glows in the near-infrared because it’s so hot.” With surface temperatures soaring around 869 degrees Fahrenheit (about 465 degrees Celsius), Venus certainly presents an extreme environment for observation.

The WISPR data has raised more questions than answers, creating an exciting conundrum for scientists. The images align well with data from the Magellan spacecraft, which mapped Venus from 1990 to 1994, yet some areas appear brighter than anticipated. This discrepancy leads to fascinating inquiries about the surface’s chemical composition and geological history. Is WISPR detecting different materials or age variations due to more recent volcanic activity? Izenberg notes, “Because it flies over a number of similar and different landforms than the previous Venus flybys, the Nov. 6 flyby will give us more context to evaluate whether WISPR can help us distinguish physical or even chemical properties of Venus’ surface.”

Following the Venus flyby, the Parker Solar Probe will embark on the most daring phase of its mission. As it approaches perihelion on December 24, it will effectively surf through the Sun’s outer atmosphere, traversing plumes of solar plasma that extend outward from the solar surface. Adam Szabo, project scientist for Parker at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, emphasizes the magnitude of this engineering feat: “This is a major engineering accomplishment.”

The perihelion will occur during a period when mission control will temporarily lose contact with the spacecraft, heightening the anticipation for scientists and engineers alike. Parker is expected to send a beacon tone back to Earth on December 27, confirming its successful close-up journey and ongoing health. This will initiate a new phase of the mission, enabling Parker to complete two additional perihelia at the same remarkable distance from the Sun.

In this newly christened regime of solar investigation, Parker Solar Probe will delve into the intricacies of solar activity, contributing invaluable data that could reshape our understanding of the Sun’s behavior and its influence on the solar system. As we inch closer to the mysteries of stellar phenomena, the Parker Solar Probe stands at the frontier of discovery, embodying both the spirit of exploration and the promise of knowledge in the vast cosmic realm.