Spacecraft
Parker Solar Probe
The closest and fastest human-made object to the Sun: ~6.9 million km at perihelion at 690,000 km/h. Behind its carbon-composite heat shield it studies the solar corona in situ.
| Type | Spacecraft |
|---|---|
| Parent body | Sun |
| Orbital radius | 0.388 AU (Sun) |
| Eccentricity | 0.882 |
| Orbital period | 88 days |
| Launch | 12 August 2018 (Delta IV Heavy) |
| Agency | NASA / APL |
| Status | Active – corona passes |
| Record speed | 192 km/s |