Within two months of launching, the Parker Solar Probe in October 2018 moved within 26.55 million miles of the sun's surface, breaking the previous mark set by the Helios-2 spaecraft in 1976.

And the Parker Solar Probe also has the distinction of being the first NASA spacecraft named after a living person. At the time of its launch, in August 2018, physicist Eugene Parker was 91 years old.

NASA probe sets record as closest object to the sun 02:22. NASA's Parker Solar Probe has beamed home its first detailed update eight days after making a record-breaking approach to the sun, the ...

NASA's Parker Solar Probe survived the latest endeavor in its mission to “touch” the sun – flying just 3.8 million miles above the star’s surface – in its closest-ever approach on ...

Dr. Eugene Parker is seen with a model of the Parker Solar Probe on May 31, 2017. Scott Olson/Getty Images Parker was the first living person to have a spacecraft named after him.

The mission is set to complete Parker’s solar landing on December 24, 2024, when it will fly past the sun at roughly 435,000 miles per hour (via Business Insider). Don’t Miss : Juno captures ...

Earlier this week, the Parker Solar Probe passed within a mere 3.8 million miles of the sun. Skip to content. All Sections. Subscribe Now. 59°F. Sunday, June 15th 2025 E-Edition.

On Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) NASA's parker Solar Probe made its closest approach to the sun yet, passing through the blisteringly hot outer atmosphere of our star. Skip to main content.

And the Parker Solar Probe also has the distinction of being the first NASA spacecraft named after a living person. At the time of its launch, in August 2018, physicist Eugene Parker was 91 years old.

The Parker Solar Probe was launched in 2018 to get a close-up look at the sun. Since then, it has flown straight through the sun's corona: the outer atmosphere visible during a total solar eclipse.