NASA confirms Parker Solar Probe made close approach to the Sun

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has successfully made the closest approach to the Sun, the space agency has confirmed.

Earlier this week, the spacecraft passed within a record-breaking six million kilometres of the scorching star at the centre of the solar system.

NASA received an all-clear message from Parker late on Thursday night confirming it had survived the journey.

Launched in 2018 to get a close-up look at the Sun, Parker has since flown straight through its outer atmosphere, known as the corona.

With its close brush complete, the craft is expected to circle the Sun until at least September.

Parkers is the fastest spacecraft ever built by humans and hit speeds of 690,000kph at its closest approach.

It is outfitted with a heat shield that can withstand intense temperatures of up to 1,370 degrees Celsius.

Scientists hope the data from Parker will help them better understand why the Sun’s outer atmosphere is hundreds of times hotter than its surface and what drives the solar wind, the supersonic stream of charged particles constantly blasting away from the Sun.

“Parker Solar Probe was developed as part of NASA’s Living With a Star program to explore aspects of the Sun-Earth system that directly affect life and society,” said NASA in a statement.