NASA’s new Parker Solar Probe is getting some intense environmental testing.
Extreme tests simulate extreme conditions the satellite experiences during launch and beyond.
Parker Solar Probe was built at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab
and will explore the Sun’s outer atmosphere.
Recently, lasers were fired at the spacecraft to test its solar panels.
These panels will power the entire spacecraft as it travels to the Sun.
Near the Sun, the heat shield must withstand temperatures up to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit.
Extreme conditions, indeed!