Scorchio! Parker Solar Probe to come closer to the Sun than any spacecraft in history

Hope it doesn't get vapourised by a sun burp.

 

That's going to pretty impressive engineering to keep anything working in that environment.

 

The launch is at 08.33 this morning.



Tune to Nasa TV.

 

NASA's article is called "It's surprisingly hard to go to the sun"

Interesting video about the trajectory:

It's Surprisingly Hard to Go to the Sun

 

Ah, launch at 08.53.

They changed the time without consulting me. Outrage.

 

the launch is live on youtube https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkFyOHamzOY&ved=2ahUKEwjYxpGLueTcAhXMC8AKHVIoCc0Qt9IBMC16BAgLEFY&usg=AOvVaw26zcjVxzFSVdCcEsrSsTSo

 

Oh god the comments

"Launching at night to fool us"
"CGI"

Not enough

 

Did anyone else submit their name to travel to the sun?

Names to Fly with Parker Solar Probe

 

Er, no and I'm not sure why anyone would tbh.

I take it you did, so perhaps you can explain?

 

Vanity, personal investment. The idea of my name crashing into the sun makes me smile

 

No.



I'm doomed to even more obscure obscurity.

 

Okay, 09.28 am for launch.

Launching rockets is frustrating. It's like getting a 8-year-old out to school on a Monday morning.

 

Launch delayed again, going for 9.28 now

 

Argh! Back to T minus 4

 

Bollocks. Missed the window for today

 

Delayed for 24 hours now?

 

boooo

 

Fucking typical of owt I put my name to

 

Scrubbed for 24 hours.

But, hey! We get to do this all over again tomorrow morning.

 

Morning, rocketeers.

Let's do this thing.

 

Looking good...

 

MECO 1.

And breath.

 

Wake up, Ra.

Parker's a-coming.

 

Oops overslept

Glad it went well though

 

Unless I misread it, I understand this probe will not only be the fastest man-made object ever, but will be so by a very significant factor (600,000 kph vs 200,000 at best?).

If that is right could someone explain how will they get it to go three times faster than any previous probe? I thought it took several gravitational slingshots using multiple planets just to get a satellite to anywhere near 200k per hour.

 

Gosh. Perhaps they should consider giving future probes going out to the planets a few extra heat shields so they can take a slingshot around the Sun first. At such speeds Mars could be what, 2-4 months away? Handy for re-supplying future colonists/ bases.