The Parker Solar Probe is a NASA spacecraft designed to study the Sun up close, helping scientists understand how it works and its influence on the solar system.
It is the first spacecraft to ‘touch’ the Sun, passing through its outer atmosphere, called the corona.
It travels faster than any other man-made object, reaching a speed of approximately 700,000 km/h (430,000 mph).
It can withstand extreme heat thanks to a carbon composite heat shield that protects its instruments from temperatures exceeding 1,300 °C (2,500 °F).
Mission objectives: to study the solar wind and its acceleration. To understand why the corona is hotter than the Sun's surface.
Study the origins of solar storms that can affect satellites, power grids and astronauts.