NASA has finally sent a spacecraft on a mission to fly where no probe has ever gone before into the sun's scorching outer atmosphere.

The probe took off at 3.31 ET (8.31 BST) this morning.

It was initially set to launch at 3.33am ET (8.33am BST) yesterday, but poor conditions meant it was pushed back 24-hours.

The unmanned spacecraft is on an unprecedented quest that will take it straight through the edges of the corona, or outer solar atmosphere, just 3.8million miles from the sun's surface.

Previously, the closest an aircraft had come to the sun was 27million miles.




Preparing to launch: The probe gets ready for take-off at T-minus one second this morning.



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6051911/NASAs-gets-ready-launch-1-5bn-Parker-Solar-Probe-historic-mission-SUN.html

The $1.5billion (£1.17billion) Parker Probe blasted offatop one of the most powerful rockets in the world.

It will eventually hit record-breaking speeds of up to 430,000 miles per hour as it completes 24 orbits of the sun over the course of seven years.

At this speed, it would take two minutes to travel from London to New York.

While orbitting the sun, the craft will swing around Venus seven times, using the planet's gravity to push it closer and closer to our star with each pass; eventually, the Parker probe will get within 3.8 million miles of the sun's surface.

It will make its first fly past Venus in October, and is protected by a revolutionary new heat shield.

That will set up the first solar encounter in November.

It will be subjected to temperatures of roughly 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,371°C) when it comes closer tothe sun than any spacecraft in history but, behind its thick heat shield, it will only feel like a hot summer day, with this sheltered region maxing out at about 85F (29C).






The NASA spacecraft taking off this morning.

At it's fastest spacecraft went travels at 119miles per second, pictured taking off

This mission will require 55 times more energy than would be needed to reach Mars, according to NASA.

The probe will rely on a series of gravity assists from Venus to slow down its sideways motion, allowing it to get just 3.8 million miles away from the sun's surface.

The historic mission will give us the best opportunity yet to study the star that holds up our entire solar system. And, it's one of the last places within our stellar neighborhood that has yet to be explored.


Roughly 1,400 pounds of solar projection and science equipment are protected by an advanced heat shield, which uses a 4.5-inch thick carbon composite foammaterial between two carbon fiber face sheets.

The probe can be seen above as it was lifted onto the third stage rocket motor

Explorer you dae book space for your own post,nah wa oooh

Mynd44. Lalasticlalala kom and see ooo

informative and educative thread

A country with a Vision

Rubbish

Chai.. Things dey happen oo

Wow! Just wow!
Check my profile if you live in Jos and environs

Na the money me dey after

Great!!....but that's no big deal for we can achieve same......it's a no rocket science achievement..! four years is enough for us to achieve such feat....

This makes sense, not coming online to shout afonja and ipob

This is explorer, the wicked thread producer

wow

NASA,the mystic leads,homeland need to take some summer class from U.S.A spendings on research,wait,where is Nigcom sat ehmmmmmm,sorry.

NASA is bae
NASA iza goal

Story and lies. The sun will fry that thing

Until Africa start thinking towards an adventure like this, we ain't ever gonna get it right .... They have started exploring the Sun while Here, Buhari,Saraki/Dogara , Bokoharam , Herdsmen is the only noise in the air !!
Ordinary true Federalism as a system of government is difficult to execute

Here comes the white witches and wizards.
I pray the mission would be successful

Nasa doing it well. With the new branch of American military called Space Force being proposed by the Trump administration, we will get to colonize the solar system sooner than later.

Been following all day


Quite fascinating.

Good better country not some religious poo around Nigeria.

Meanwhile, herdsmen and land grabbers are busy sharpening their knives after 2019. Mission to kill

To the sun. Wow! We are still making pencils

In my country we still dey battle pdp/apc, biggest church, seed vs tithe.

Let them not spoil the sun for us oo abeg.
All life depends on the sun

All this Oyinbo people ehn.
I just love how they stay hungry for knowledge.
Nigeria and Nigerians has spent more than that on pilgrimage...
Every little Muslim wants to be Alhaji.
Some Christians too love the title JP.

America is truly the world super power.

GOD IS WITH AMERICA

Police place N1 million bounty on masked lady who
exposed a policemen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAz3mM_PBYY

And Nigeria as a nation is still yet to commence pencil production