Parker Solar Probe Pre-Launch Briefing

The Parker Solar Probe Mission Science Briefing held at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on August 9, 2018.

Image of Parker Solar Probe. Credit: APL/NASA GSFC

Beauty pass animation of Parker Solar Probe in the solar wind. Credit: NASA GSFC/CIL/Brian Monroe

The virtual camera flies toward the Moon, visualized as it appeared on February 17, 2022, then scans south over the area of the SOFIA observations, shown in shades of blue (stronger water signal) and brown. Includes a color key and latitude-longitude grid near the South Pole.

Animation of the solar wind. Credit: NASA GSFC/CIL/Krystofer Kim

Photo of Eugene Parker. Credit: University of Chicago

Animation of a coronal mass ejection (CME) from the Sun. Credit: NASA GSFC/CIL/Krystofer Kim

Animation of a spacecraft being damaged by space weather. Credit: NASA GSFC/CIL/Krystofer Kim

Graphic illustrating the layers of the Sun. Credit: NASA GSFC/Mary Pat Hrybyk-Keith

Animation of Parker Solar Probe during a Venus flyby. Credit: Johns Hopkins University/APL/Steve Gribben

Animation of Parker Solar Probe's trajectory. Credit: Johns Hopkins University/APL/Steve Gribben

Parker Solar Probe observes the Sun. Credit: Johns Hopkins University/APL/Steve Gribben

Parker Solar Probe approaches the Sun. Credit: Johns Hopkins University/APL/Steve Gribben

Engineers install the Parker Solar Probe's Thermal Protection System, or TPS.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Lee Hobson

Engineers test the Parker Solar Probes solar arrays.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Lee Hobson

Solar Limb Sensors all over the spacecraft can tell if it’s getting too much sunlight. If one of the sensors gets too much Sun, the spacecraft determines how best to maneuver itself into a safer position.

Credit: Johns Hopkins University/APL/Steve Gribben

The team behind Parker Solar Probe.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Ed Whitman