Parker Solar Probe Completes 28th Close Pass of the Sun

Parker Solar Probe completed its 28th close approach to the Sun on June 8, matching its record distance of 3.8 million miles from the solar surface. The flyby continued measurements of the solar wind and solar activity at their source, adding to understanding of how the Sun’s atmosphere changes through the solar cycle.

The spacecraft checked in with flight controllers at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland — where it was designed and built — transmitting a beacon tone that indicated systems were operating normally. Parker had been out of contact and operating autonomously for nine days around its closest approach, as planned.

This solar encounter, which began June 3 and runs through June 13, saw the probe’s four scientific instrument packages gather data from inside the Sun’s corona; detailed telemetry will begin returning June 14, with science data transmission set from June 17 to June 30.

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