The Parker Solar Probe is now flying through the Sun's outer atmosphere at 430,000 miles per hour, fast enough to cross the continental United States in 20 seconds, and its heat shield protects the in

NASA's Parker Solar Probe is the fastest human-made object ever, sweeping the Sun's corona at 430,000 mph while a 4.5-inch carbon foam shield holds its instruments at room temperature behind a 2,500-degree face. On the front of the Parker Solar Probe, a slab of carbon foam four and a half inches thick is glowing at around 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit. Less than a meter behind it, the science instruments sit at roughly room temperature, taking measurements as if ... [8604 chars]