NASA’s new spacecraft will travel within 26 MILES of the sun in order to gather data that will help scientist better predict solar storms

Dailymail.com ^ | 01/28/2020 | Stacy Liberatore

[BenLurkin]

In collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), the team is launching the Solar Orbiter that will use Venus's and Earth's gravity to swing itself out of the ecliptic plane — the area of space aligned with the sun's equator, where all planets orbit.

From this position, the craft will feast its eyes on the first-ever look of the massive yellow dwarf star, which will provide scientists with better data to predict solar storms more accurately.

Solar Orbiter is equipped with a custom-designed titanium heat shield coated with a specific phosphate that withstands temperatures over 900 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing it to get within 26 miles of the blazing sun.

[PghBaldy]

Wow. That is close.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

What could possibly go wrong?

[oldasrocks]

I hope they go at night when it is not so hot.

[tet68]

That doesn’t sound right, maybe 26,000 miles?

[EvilCapitalist]

I hope NASA has good insurance.

[blueunicorn6]

Probably has an umbrella.

[SkyDancer]

The heat must be incredible.

[PghBaldy]

[Deaf Smith]

If the vehicle is totally encased in a heat shield, how will it be able to transmit data back our direction?

[Blood of Tyrants]

26 miles is well withing the sun’s corona.

[dontreadthis]

SPF 16

[Larry Lucido]

This will not turn out well.

[Campion]

According to Wikipedia — which is apparently more reliable than the Daily Mail — it’s a bit over 26 MILLION miles, not 26 miles. (Mercury is about 35 million miles from the sun.)

[hal ogen]

Don’t worry . It has a good air conditioning system .

[dontreadthis]

are you serious?
they have to go around to the dark side!

[Blood of Tyrants]

Actually its 26 million miles.
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2018/new-views-of-sun-2-missions-will-go-closer-to-our-star-than-ever-before

[dragnet2]

“”What could possibly go wrong?””

What will go right is there won’t be any loss of life. That’s what makes unmanned spacecraft special...That and they go where man can’t go for a long long time, if ever.

[reintarnation]

You’re right. Even 260,000 miles doesn’t sound realistic.

[PeterPrinciple]

then finish off with bypass within 26 of the sun.

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From the article. Remember when you elementary teacher made you label your numbers?

Reporting these days is atrocious.