LAUREL, MARYLAND — NASA is planning an ambitious new mission to “touch the sun” that will supposedly revolutionize our understanding of the yellow dwarf star. <br /> <br />According to NASA, the Solar Probe Plus is set to launch in summer 2018 and will orbit within four million miles of the sun’s surface — closer than any other spacecraft has approached before. <br /> <br />The probe will be equipped with a carbon composite heat shield, to help it withstand radiation and temperatures of up to 2,550 degrees Fahrenheit. <br /> <br />It will collect data about the corona — the sun’s outer atmosphere — to help solve the mystery of why it’s millions of degrees hotter than the surface. <br /> <br />Scientists aim to study solar activity in detail, particularly how solar winds are accelerated. <br /> <br />This could improve forecasts of space weather events, which can shake the earth’s magnetic field and impact satellite communications, astronaut safety, power grids, and radiation on flights. <br /> <br />NASA is in the process of building the Solar Probe Plus, and has already installed key elements, including the cooling system.
