How the Parker Space Probe Will Avoid Melting When It Reaches the Sun
As Popular Mechanics points out, there is a difference between temperature and heat—though they’re often seen as interchangeable on Earth. In the sun’s corona, its outer layer, temperatures hover in the millions of degrees in temperature, but “the loose organization of plasma in the corona makes the heat manageable.” NASA’s Parker Space Probe will enter the corona with a heat shield composed of a unique carbon composite foam sandwiched between two carbon plates. Inside the space probe, it will only feel like 85 degrees Fahrenheit—and thus avoid melting. Read more at Popular Mechanics.
Via popularmechanics.com link opens in a new window
