Graphic
Mission to the sun
In 2018, NASA plans to launch a spacecraft called Solar Probe Plus to study the sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona, and its expansion into space, known as the solar wind.
Adusting to the heat
Journey to the sun
From the sun
Adusting to the heat
As it approaches the sun, the probe will adjust to protect itself from temperatures approaching 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit:
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Far from the sun
Solar panels extend when the probe is far from the sun.
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Approaching the sun
As the probe gets closer, the solar panels will retract.
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Near the sun
All instruments except the Faraday cup and tips of antennas will tuck behind the thermal shield.
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Journey to the sun
From the sun
