Solar Probe will be a historic mission, flying into one of the last unexplored regions of the solar system, the Sun’s atmosphere or corona, for the first time. Approaching as close as 3 RS above the Sun’s surface, Solar Probe will employ a combination of in-situ measurements and imaging to achieve the mission’s primary scientific goal: to understand how the Sun’s corona is heated and how the solar wind is accelerated. Solar Probe will revolutionize our knowledge of the physics of the origin and evolution of the solar wind. Moreover, by making the only direct, in-situ measurements of the region where some of the deadliest solar energetic particles are energized, Solar Probe will make unique and fundamental contributions to our ability to characterize and forecast the radiation environment in which future space explorers will work and live. Solar Probe is currently under study as part of the Sun-Solar System Connection within NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.
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But won’t the sun burn it to a crisp?Nah, they’ll go at night.
Cool – but what’s an RS?
Maybe we should send George Hamilton. He burned himself to a crisp 40 years ago.RS = RS? Solar radius, I think.
Um, call me in January. I will probably be more willing than now.
But won’t the sun burn it to a crisp?Nah, they’ll go at night.That might not work. I think it takes like three days to get there or something. They’re scientists, so they’ll probably figure it out with some math and stuff.
I’d like to go, but I’m a terrible singer.