Washington : NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, tasked with closely observing the sun’s outer corona, has matched the record for the fastest human made object ever.
On June 29, the probe was recorded travelling at 635,266 kilometres per hour (394,736 miles per hour), marking the second time it has reached this speed since its launch in 2018. This velocity is approximately 500 times the speed of sound, according to a study published in the scientific journal Science Alert.
The probe is expected to become even faster, potentially reaching speeds of around 692,000 kilometres per hour (430,000 miles per hour) when it gets closest to the sun in 2025. This speed would be sufficient to travel from Washington, D.C. to Tokyo in under a minute.
Achieving these incredible speeds relies on timing and momentum. As the Parker Solar Probe orbits the sun, it aligns with the orbit of Venus, using the planet’s gravitational pull as a type of slingshot.
Ultimately, the probe will approach the sun’s intensely hot plasma, taking a variety of measurements to enhance scientific understanding of the sun’s outer atmosphere.
