NASA Is Finally Sending a Mission to Touch the Sun

The Solar Probe Plus mission is scheduled to launch in the summer of 2018 and will orbit within 4 million miles (6.4 million kilometers) of the sun's "surface," where the probe will "[face]heat and radiation unlike any spacecraft in history," according to a statement from NASA.Mercury, by contrast, orbits the sun at a distance of between 28 and 43 million miles (46 and 70 million km), and the constant stream of radiation and powerful particle storms from the sun have utterly transformed that planet's surface and atmosphere.

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Probe will attempt to orbit sun 24 times in 6 year and 11 month...this mission will help us to study sun more deeply and to get more info. on solar weather. I think it's pretty cool xD But NASA estimates that a huge unpredicted solar event could knock out satellites and cost the U.S. alone up to $2 trillion in damage ? potentially even causing long-term electricity shortages worldwide. Well I hope that not happen.

I don't think this is a good idea, considering the damage costs. Also.. wouldn't the probe burn up way before it gets near the sun?

Nah nahh probe will fly about 4 million miles of sun surface facing 1400 Celsius and huge radiation. For protection against these conditions it'll use 4.5 inch thick carbon composite shield.
I think NASA have already estimated everything and every factor effecting the mission or probe any way 'cause this is such a big mission.

Cool mission. Feel sorry for the person driving the spaceship mind.

Desinishon said:

NASA estimates that a huge unpredicted solar event could knock out satellites and cost the U.S. alone up to $2 trillion in damage ? potentially even causing long-term electricity shortages worldwide. Well I hope that not happen.

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This almost happened in 2012, if that were the case I think we wouldn't be here writing this probably. {XD}
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Lipstick Vogue said:

Cool mission. Feel sorry for the person driving the spaceship mind.

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Chances are, it'll be a remote-controlled ship at that. Just like how all the Mars Rovers are, basically.

Raffy98 said:

This almost happened in 2012, if that were the case I think we wouldn't be here writing this probably. {XD}
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I remember in 2012 when all those stronger-than-normal solar storms were happening. In addition to the fear of satellites becoming ruined, there was also the chance of aurora borealis being visible in areas that never see it.

It would be impossible for it to be remote controlled as the operator would lose it in the glare of the sun.

sounds risky but interesting! i'm pretty sure it's well thought out, though.

Lipstick Vogue said:

It would be impossible for it to be remote controlled as the operator would lose it in the glare of the sun.

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I'm pretty sure that there will be plenty of filters on the camera to prevent that from happening.

@Raffy: lol I totally didn't know about that..

Lipstick Vogue said:

It would be impossible for it to be remote controlled as the operator would lose it in the glare of the sun.

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This is better article than in op. It contain info about equipments and little bit about how satellite will work :p but yeah! Like Zach stated about camera's filters.

The closest a spacecraft has previously come to sun was Helios 2 under 27 million miles from sun in 1974. They're reducing that to 4 million miles and like they said it's a 60 year in making mission :p So I think everything is pretty much thought out through only thing that is unpredictable is those solar storm. Well 1 year to go xD

Oh, it'll be unmanned for sure, haha. (I feel earlier posts may have been sarcasm...? Nonetheless). And they'll manage it. Last year or so they managed to land a spacecraft on an asteroid and another past Pluto and this year yet another through Saturn's rings, they'll manage to fly one close to the sun.

Raffy98 said:

This almost happened in 2012, if that were the case I think we wouldn't be here writing this probably. {XD}
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Tsutarja said:

Chances are, it'll be a remote-controlled ship at that. Just like how all the Mars Rovers are, basically.

I remember in 2012 when all those stronger-than-normal solar storms were happening. In addition to the fear of satellites becoming ruined, there was also the chance of aurora borealis being visible in areas that never see it.

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With solar storms, they are certainly a threat. If one happens on the scale of this one in the 1800s we'd have serious problems. The stuff in 2012 however - not unusual! The sun has cycles of solar activity (of 11 years in length iirc?) and around 2012 was the peak of the latest one, i.e. you would expect more of those events to happen. This doesn't mean solar storms can't happen during a minimum of those cycles, but certainly every 11 years you see way more flares, sunspots, etc.

Do you really think the mission will be successful without a sacrifice to the sun god?

Jokes aside though I still find the scale of these kind of space missions absolutely incredible.