NASA Interview Opportunity: NASA Spacecraft Days Away From Historic Close Approach to the Sun

Some records are made for breaking! Join a NASA expert on Dec. 16, 2024, to learn how a NASA spacecraft will make history next week. Also find out where we are in the solar cycle and explore new science results from April's total solar eclipse.

Quick Summary:
Making history: On Dec. 24, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe will come within 3.8 million miles of the Sun’s surface.
Hold on to your hat! At its closest point to the Sun, Parker Solar Probe will be traveling at 430,000 mph, making it the fastest-moving human-made object in history.
Blazing hot: Parker Solar Probe’s heat shield will be facing temperatures over a million degrees Fahrenheit, but keeps the spacecraft at room temperature

Interview Details:
One-on-one NASA expert interviews are available 6 a.m. - 1 p.m. EST on Dec. 16, 2024, for TV, podcast, radio, and print.
Note: For podcast/radio interviews we will offer clean audio through our sound booth.
Please fill out this form to request an interview slot: https://forms.gle/ijVo5g3HJxVBsPVn9
Note: Requests sent via the above form will have scheduling priority. Please do not email requests.
For more information about NASA’s solar missions visit: @NASASun on X, @NASAsunscience on Facebook and online at nasa.gov/sun & nasa.gov/parker
* Want to hear a podcast dedicated to our Sun? Check out season 7 of NASA’s Curious Universe podcast: Sun Series: nasa.gov/curiousuniverse

Some records are made for breaking! Say hello to the fastest-moving human-made object, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe. On a mission to “touch the Sun,” NASA's Parker Solar Probe is set to make history on Dec. 24 by making its closest dive through the Sun’s corona — the Sun’s upper atmosphere.

Parker will come just 3.8 million miles from the Sun’s surface, making it the first human-made object ever pass this close to the Sun. Parker’s closest approach is happening during the period of solar maximum — the phase of highest activity for our Sun — opening opportunities for some exciting science! The spacecraft will withstand blazing hot temperatures over a million degrees Fahrenheit while keeping the probe’s instruments at room temperature around 85 degrees. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, at its closest point to the Sun, Parker will be traveling at an astounding 430,000 mph, making it the fastest-moving human-made object in history. That’s fast enough to get from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., in one second!

Take a deep dive with NASA to learn more about our Sun including why we saw the northern lights so far south this year, and this historic flyby that will uncover mysteries of our closest star!

Suggested Anchor Intro:
It's been a viral year for the Sun! From the April total solar eclipse across America to the northern lights shimmering all the way down in Florida, the Sun has spread light in all of our lives this year! Now our Sun is back in the news as a NASA spacecraft prepares to make a historic close approach to our blazing hot star next week.

Here to tell us more about this historic feat is NASA expert xxxx.

Suggested Questions:
1. We are days away from a historic moment! Can you tell us about the NASA spacecraft that will make history by “touching our star”?
2. The Sun is a constant in our skies, but there is so much we still don’t know about our star. What are we hoping to learn from Parker Solar Probe?
3. What are you most excited for as Parker makes its historic close approach?
4. The Sun has been in the news quite a bit this year between the total eclipse in April and intense solar storms that brought the northern lights as far south as Florida. How will Parker study the cause behind all this activity?
5. With the Sun in a phase of increased activity this is an especially interesting time to be studying our star. What does NASA have planned next to continue exploring the Sun?
6. Where can we learn more?

Questions for longer interviews:
7. Parker will be only 3.8 million miles from the Sun’s surface. Can you talk about how extraordinary it is to be this close to our star?
8. Vast areas of the U.S. were treated to a total solar eclipse in April. Can you talk about some of the science NASA and its partners did during this eclipse and what we learned?
9. For those of us in the path of totality for the eclipse, we saw the Sun’s outer atmosphere with our own eyes! Parker Solar Probe studies this region by flying through it. How do our ground observations and Parker’s observations inform each other?
10. How do you build a spacecraft that can withstand the intense heat and radiation this close to the Sun?
11. Parker had to fly by Venus to get to the Sun. Why was this important for the mission's journey?
12. Can you talk about the connection between understanding our Sun and future astronauts who will travel to the Moon and one day Mars?