NASA Probe Breaks World Records

NASA+Probe+Breaks+World+Records

Alyssa Urff, Sahuaro News Editor

You think the NASA’s Parker Probe is cool? It’s not cool at all…it’s hot!

The probe launched on August 12, 2018 has already broken two world records. As of October 29th, the probe is the fastest spacecraft in the world (also the fastest thing man has ever built) and it’s the probe that has gotten closer to the sun than any other spacecraft in the world.

Source: BBC

The probe will continue moving towards the sun to evaluate parts of our solar system’s most powerful star. It is expected to be within 3 million miles of the sun in 2024. The probe cost 1.5 billion dollars and will study and gather more information about the sun’s atmosphere.

With help from gravitational pulls of planets like Venus, the probe is moving at a speed of 213,200 miles per hour. It is expected to go as fast as 430,000 miles but that will most likely not happen until 2024.

The previous world record was set by the Helios 2 probe in 1976 that reached a top speed of 153,453 miles per hour. The probe continues to break world records as it moves every day towards the sun.