Mission to the sun
NASA has announced plans to launch a spacecraft mission to the sun. The spacecraft will be outfitted with a heat shield designed to withstand temperatures as high as 2,550 degrees Fahrenheit.
NASA has announced plans to launch the first-ever spacecraft mission to the sun within the next decade, hoping to solve a number of solar mysteries. Astronomers have been talking about trying to visit the sun since 1958, when a panel of scientists recommended studying the feasibility of such a journey.
The car-size spacecraft, dubbed Solar Probe Plus, will be outfitted with a heat shield designed to withstand temperatures as high as 1,400 degrees Celsius (2,550 Fahrenheit). The mission will seek to learn why the sun’s atmosphere is so much hotter than its surface and how the behavior of our nearest star affects weather on Earth.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The Icelandic women’s strike 50 years onIn The Spotlight The nation is ‘still no paradise’ for women, say campaigners
-
Mall World: why are people dreaming about a shopping centre?Under The Radar Thousands of strangers are dreaming about the same thing and no one sure why
-
Why scientists are attempting nuclear fusionThe Explainer Harnessing the reaction that powers the stars could offer a potentially unlimited source of carbon-free energy, and the race is hotting up