A trip to the Sun

[XM5ER]

And nowhere near Wapping.

http://www.space.com/37023-solar-probe-plus-nasa-a...

"NASA officials are scheduled to make an announcement tomorrow (May 31) regarding the agency's first-ever mission to fly directly into the punishing heat of the sun's atmosphere."

I'm quite excited about this, I think the results will give us more questions than answers.

[Eric Mc]

The BBC headlined this as NASA's first probe to the sun - which, of course, it isn't.

[XM5ER]

What other probes have we done? I'm ashamed to admit I don't recall them.

[Eric Mc]

Ulysses and SOHO come to mind straight away.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses_(spacecraft)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_and_Heliospher...

Both the above are/were joint missions with ESA and others.

NASA also conducted extensive studies of the sun from Skylab in 1973/74.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Telescope_Mou...

This one will be getting closer to the sun than any previous solar probe, but it definitely isn't the first NASA mission to study the sun.

[XM5ER]

I think the BBC's headline is pretty accurate, none of the other observatories (SOHO etc) got any closer than the Earth already is. O/T I love the SOHO website, I think our knowledge of the sun is so under-explored. Cant wait to see the results of this probe.

[RDMcG]

Naturally they will go at night to avoid the rays.......

[Hoofy]

RDMcG said:

Naturally they will go at night to avoid the rays.......

Presumably, it won't be built in the UK or it will just send back messages complaining about how hot it is.

[Eric Mc]

To the average radio listener it was misleading in that it seemed to hint that there had been no solar science space missions - which is patently untrue. They b8illed it as NASA's first solar mission.
The sun has been observed from space for over 40 years and almost continuously for the past 20 years.

It has been recognised since the 1920s that getting sensors above the earth's atmosphere was necessary in order to study the sun in all its wavelengths and also to sample actual solar particles. Starting with high altitude balloons and later high altitude sounding rockets, solar observing from the edge of space began just after World War 2.

Once satellites entered earth orbit, and later solar orbit, proper long term observation of the sun from space could be conducted. Even the Apollo missions carried out out solar observation experiments - some from the surface of the moon.

And, as I mentioned earlier, some significant missions have been flown for years. Most of what we now know and understand about the sun comes from these missions.

[XM5ER]

This was the previous closest probe

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helios_(spacecraft)

27 Million miles and a whole 500kb or memory storage (actually pretty massive at the time).

[Eric Mc]

27 miles million is pretty close (closer than Mercury) although this new one will be going a lot closer.

It takes a HUGE amount of energy to send a probe in towards the sun - more than sending a probe out of the solar system.

[GTO-3R]

What the hell will it be made of so that it doesnt melt and keep what's inside cool enough to transmit data?!!!

[Eric Mc]

The temperatures encountered will be in the 1,400 degree C range - which is survivable using modern materials. They were discussing the mission on Radio 4 yesterday and one of the team explained that it is only because such materials are now available that a mission of this nature can be attempted.

[funkyrobot]

This badboy got a lot closer:



In all seriousness, I enjoy looking at this site from time to time:

http://spaceweather.com/

[Yipper]

RDMcG said:

Naturally they will go at night to avoid the rays.......

Or go in Winter, when the sun is colder.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xLN5-1QGRM

[Steve Campbell]

Eric Mc said:

It takes a HUGE amount of energy to send a probe in towards the sun - more than sending a probe out of the solar system.

That's interesting, I would have thought the opposite due to gravitational pull (armchair scientist LOL). Why ?

[Einion Yrth]

Steve Campbell said:

That's interesting, I would have thought the opposite due to gravitational pull (armchair scientist LOL). Why ?

The Earth orbits the sun with a mean orbital velocity of in the region of 30000 ms-1, in order to descend to a lower orbit a lot of that velocity has to be shed, 'cause that's how orbital mechanics works; this takes a lot of energy.

[Eric Mc]

Yep - you can't start falling towards the sun just by jumping off the earth. You've got to get rid of all that massive velocity you already have just because you've jumped off a planet that's already travelling at a hell of a lick.

[Ozone]

So have they set the controls for the heart of the sun?

Pink Floyd would be interested to know.

[Eric Mc]

Gerry Anderson got there first -

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x290etx_10-thunde...

[anonymous-user]

Eric Mc said:

Yep - you can't start falling towards the sun just by jumping off the earth. You've got to get rid of all that massive velocity you already have just because you've jumped off a planet that's already travelling at a hell of a lick.

To save on the need to expend energy getting to ever lower orbits why not make your probe out of something extremely tough (her-in-doors roast potatos or similar indestructible material) then launch it at the next asteroid heading in the opposite direction to the earth. That'll slow it down. Do the maths right so your probe ricochets off in the direction of another conveniently passing asteroid until *voila* several asteroid collisions later its orbiting happily just above the sun's surface.

I'm inspired by a Steve Davis trick shot potting the black after it has ricocheted off half a dozen reds. Only flaw in this plan might be if you've ever played pinball and the ball starts rapidly ricocheting between two bumpers then it could be a gazillion years before it continues its journey.