Parker Solar Probe: A NASA Mission to Touch the Sun - Mission Status Update
Abstract
The Parker Solar Probe (PSP) spacecraft, scheduled to launch in August 2018, will dive into the lower atmosphere of the Sun: the corona. PSP may help us in answering fundamental questions that have mystified scientists for decades. The primary science objectives of the mission are to determine the structure and dynamics of the Sun's coronal magnetic field, understand how the solar corona is heated and the solar wind is accelerated, and how solar energetic particles are injected and accelerated. PSP uses an innovative mission design, significant technology development and a risk-reducing engineering development to meet the science objectives. We provide an overview of the key mission components and an update of its status after launch.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018AGUFMSH43A..01B
- Keywords:
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- 2169 Solar wind sources;
- INTERPLANETARY PHYSICSDE: 7509 Corona;
- SOLAR PHYSICS;
- ASTROPHYSICS;
- AND ASTRONOMYDE: 7845 Particle acceleration;
- SPACE PLASMA PHYSICSDE: 7894 Instruments and techniques;
- SPACE PLASMA PHYSICS