Jack Ryan

The space robot I think about the most is the Parker Solar Probe, which recently came within 5.3 million miles of the Sun. It spends a lot of time in the corona, which can get to like... 2 million degrees F. Mostly doesn't feel a damn thing because its heat shield is wild.

The closest Mercury gets to the Sun is about 29 million miles. What a thrill.

Jul 4, 2023 at 2:23amWeb
Show threadBen Abraham || AfterClimateJul 4, 2023
@dctrjack why is robot in the suns corona??? It does not belong there!!!
Show threadKevin Bowrin ☕Jul 4, 2023
@dctrjack The engineering and advanced materials required for such an extreme environment is fascinating.
Show threadJamesJul 4, 2023

@dctrjack and the shielded parts of the spacecraft stay cooler than many places on Earth.

> The shield weighs only 73 kilograms (160 lb) and keeps the spacecraft's instruments at 29 °C (85 °F).

You said it, just wild!

Show threadFuzzysteveJul 4, 2023
@dctrjack It's just wild that 5.3 million miles from the surface is inside the corona. The numbers are just too big for intuitive understanding. (at least for a lay person like me)