NASA Sun Visit
In 2015, NASA hopes to launch Solar Probe+ or Solar Probe Plus, a heat-resistant spacecraft that will enter the Sun's atmosphere and sample the star's magnetic fields and study the solar wind.
Fast Facts
- Name of spacecraft: Solar Probe+
- Planned launch: 2015
- Length of mission: Seven years
- Manufacturer: Johns Hopkins' Applied Physics Laboratory (APL)
- Will enter Sun's corona
- Closest approach: 7 million km1
- Expected temperatures: 1400 degrees Celsius1
Expected Achievements
The Solar Probe+ craft is an updated version of the Solar Probe spacecraft designed by Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in 2005. NASA expects that the craft will approach within seven million kilometers of the surface of the star, close enough for it to enter the sun's corona. During its seven-year mission, Solar Probe+ will be able to experience several different stages of the solar cycle, and most likely, several different solar storms.1
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