"NASA's Parker Solar Probe Targets Historic Sun Touchdown in 2024"

NASA's Parker Solar Probe is scheduled to make a historic flight past the Sun on December 24, 2024, moving at a speed of 195 km/s. This mission, described as "touching the Sun," aims to collect the first-ever samples of a star's atmosphere and will bring the probe closer to the Sun than any previous spacecraft, venturing within Mercury's orbit. The mission's goal is to enhance our understanding of solar phenomena, such as the origin and evolution of solar wind, and to improve forecasting of space weather that affects Earth. The probe will endure extreme conditions, and scientists are eager to discover new information about solar processes.