Getting from the Earth to the sun should seem reasonably straightforward since the star is always in the same place in our solar system relative to Earth's orbit. But when the Parker Solar Probe launches Saturday morning, it will have to take an indirect route.
The problem, NASA said, is how fast the Earth is moving as it orbits the sun: 67,000 miles per hour. That speed and the fact that Earth is always moving sideways in relation to the sun is the reason our planet doesn't plunge into the massive, hot ball of gas.
A rocket launched from Earth straight toward the sun won't lose that sideways momentum, so it would go right past the star, according to NASA.
The probe will have to do seven orbits over seven years around the sun, with gravity assistance from Venus, to reduce that sideways speed.
Although these gravity assists will slow the sideways momentum, Parker will dramatically increase its overall speed as a result. NASA said Parker will eventually pass the sun during its final orbits at 430,000 mph -- fast enough to get from Washington, DC, to Philadelphia in one second.
The mission will take seven years. On its final three orbits, the probe will enter the sun's atmosphere, also known as its corona. At 3.8 million miles distance, NASA said it will be seven times closer than any spacecraft before it. The outside of the spacecraft will reach 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit, but because of the shielding and cooling system, the instruments will remain at room temperature.
Scientists hope Parker will help them learn more about the origin of solar wind and how the space around Earth affects life and technology on our planet.
