Parker Solar Probe--Mission Overview

The Parker Solar Probe, named after Dr. Eugene M. Parker, is set to revolutionize our understanding of the Sun by exploring its atmosphere, the corona. This mission will take the spacecraft closer to the Sun than any before, enduring extreme heat and radiation. Traveling at unprecedented speeds, the probe aims to answer key questions about solar dynamics, marking the culmination of decades of scientific and engineering efforts. The mission, launching in 2018, promises to unveil the Sun's secrets and enhance our ability to protect technology from space weather threats.

What is the primary goal of the Parker Solar Probe mission?

• To study the Sun's atmosphere

• To explore the outer planets

• To land on the Moon

• To observe distant galaxies

Who is the Parker Solar Probe named after?

• Dr. Carl Sagan

• Dr. Stephen Hawking

• Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson

• Dr. Eugene M. Parker

How much hotter is the Sun's corona compared to its surface?

• 200 times hotter

• 400 times hotter

• 100 times hotter

• 300 times hotter

At what speed will the Parker Solar Probe travel around the Sun?

• 300,000 mph

• 430,000 mph

• 200,000 mph

• 500,000 mph

What is the significance of the Parker Solar Probe's mission in terms of technological advancement?

• It is the first mission to use nuclear propulsion

• It is the first mission to touch the Sun

• It marks the first use of solar sails

• It is the first mission to Mars