👤 whose
Whose mission first detected the solar wind close to the Sun?
SpaceflightSun
Quick Answer
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, launched in 2018, made the first close in-situ measurements of the solar wind near the Sun. It has flown closer to the Sun than any previous spacecraft.
The Full Story
The Parker Solar Probe was launched in 2018 to study the Sun’s outer atmosphere and solar wind. By repeatedly swinging close to the Sun, it entered regions where the solar wind is being accelerated and measured particles and magnetic fields directly. The spacecraft is named after astrophysicist Eugene Parker, who predicted the solar wind in 1958. Its data are helping scientists understand space weather and why the Sun’s corona is so hot.
Key Facts
1.Launched in 2018
2.Named after Eugene Parker
3.Closest-ever solar observations
YouTube Angle
Suggested video title for this topic:
"The spacecraft that flies through the Sun’s backyard to sample the solar wind."