The Robust Cooling System of a NASA Spacecraft Flying Into the Sun's Atmosphere

To better understand solar physics, NASA

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is sending the Parker Solar Probe spacecraft into orbit around our host star. The probe will fly into the sun's atmosphere, marking the first time in history that a spacecraft travels into the sun's corona. As you might imagine, flying so close to the sun requires some special precautions. The probe's cooling systems and solar arrays are as unique as its journey into the inferno.

On its voyage to the sun, NASA expects the probe to get within 3.7 million miles of the sun's surface. An eight-foot-diameter shield called the thermal protection system (TPS) will guard most of the spacecraft's components from the brunt of the heat. However, the craft's solar panels will be the more exposed and require a robust cooling system.