NASA’s Parker Probe Completes 24th Close Encounter with the Sun
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe completed its 24th close dive toward the Sun on Thursday, June 19. It flew just 3.8 million miles (6.2 million kilometers) above the solar surface, once again matching its record for closest approach. This milestone marked the final close flyby in the mission’s baseline plan.
From this point forward, Parker will remain in orbit around the Sun and continue collecting valuable data. Meanwhile, mission leaders are preparing to review the next phase of the mission in 2026.
On Sunday, June 22, Parker successfully checked in with mission controllers at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Maryland. This is the same facility where engineers designed and built the spacecraft. During this check-in, Parker confirmed that all systems remained healthy and fully operational. As in past flybys, the spacecraft operated autonomously and stayed out of contact with Earth while near the Sun.
In addition to this, Parker once again reached its record speed of 430,000 miles per hour (687,000 kilometers per hour). It had previously hit this mark during its flybys on December 24, 2024, and March 22, 2025.
To endure such extreme conditions, Parker relied on its advanced carbon-foam Thermal Protection System. The shield likely faced temperatures between 1,600 and 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit (870 to 930 degrees Celsius) during the closest approach. As a result, the spacecraft could continue operating safely in the harsh solar environment.
Between June 14 and June 24, Parker’s four onboard instruments collected valuable data from deep inside the Sun’s corona. This third flyby, conducted at peak speed and distance, offers scientists an unmatched opportunity to study solar wind, flares, and coronal mass ejections. Notably, the Sun is currently in a more active phase of its 11-year cycle, making this data even more significant.
Therefore, Parker’s findings are critical to understanding solar weather. These events can disrupt satellites, affect air travel, damage power grids, and pose risks to astronauts. Each close approach, therefore, sharpens our ability to predict and prepare for space weather. It also improves the safety of future missions to the Moon and Mars.
“Parker Solar Probe remains in excellent health,” said Arik Posner, program scientist at NASA Headquarters. “Its instruments are ready to continue their groundbreaking mission. As the Sun moves into the quieter phase of its cycle, Parker offers a rare chance to study how solar activity changes and shapes the heliosphere.”
NASA launched Parker Solar Probe under its Living With a Star (LWS) program. The purpose of this initiative is to explore solar processes that directly affect Earth and human society. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center manages the program, while APL leads and operates the mission for NASA.