NASA blasts off historic Parker Solar Probe mission to 'touch the Sun'
The unmanned PArker Probe aims to get closer than any human-made object to the center of our solar system.
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"Three, two, one, and liftoff!" said a NASA commentator as the Parker Solar Probe lit up the dark night sky aboard a Delta IV-Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral at 1.01 pm IST. Image courtesy: NASA
The $1.5 billion spacecraft toward the Sun is on a historic mission to protect the Earth by unveiling the mysteries of dangerous solar storms. Image courtesy NASA
History in the making: The unmanned Parker Solar Probe aims to get closer than any human-made object in history to the center of our solar system. Image courtesy: NASA
Watching your namesake fly: This spacecraft is the only NASA probe in history to be named after a living person — in this case, 91-year-old solar physicist Eugene Parker (in pic). Image courtesy: NASA
Using long exposure, a NASA photographer captures the trajectory of the Parker Solar Probe moments after blast off. Image courtesy: NASA