Solar Probe
First Mission to Touch a Star
APL is designing and building Solar Probe to be launched in 2015 and will travel eight times closer to the Sun than any probe has gone before—as close as 4.1 million miles. The probe will study the origins and dynamics of solar wind and the streams of high-energy particles the Sun shoots into space. When it is closest to the Sun, the spacecraft will withstand temperatures (up to 2,600°F) and levels of radiation and energized dust that no other spacecraft has endured. Solar Probe will significantly expand our understanding of the relationship between the Sun and the Earth.
Please Click here to learn more about the Solar Probe mission.
