IS GUILTY OF ASSISTING HER
HUSBAND IN THE ATTACK.
NOW AT 5:30 P.M., FOR THE
FIRST TIME WE'RE GETTING A LOOK
AT THE SPACECRAFT THAT WILL
SOON BE ON ITS WAY TO THE SUN.
NASA EXPECTED TO COME WITHIN
3.7 MILLION MILES OF THE
NEAREST STAR. BUT CONSIDER THIS
THE EARTH IS ALMOST 100,000,000
MILES AWAY SO WHY DO SCIENTISTS
EVEN WANT TO STUDY THE
SUN?REPORTER: NASA ENGINEERS
ARE PUTTING FINAL TOUCHES ON
THE PARKER SOLAR PROBE OF THE
SPACECRAFT SET TO TRAVEL CLOSER
TO THE SUN THAN ANY OTHER IN
HISTORY.
WE'VE HAD TO WAIT 60 YEARS
FOR TECHNOLOGY TO CATCH UP WITH
THEIR DREAMS. THERE ARE MANY
BURNING QUESTIONS LIKE WHY THE
ATMOSPHERE IS HOTTER THAN THE
SURFACE UNLIKE ANY OTHER BODY
IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM.
IT BREAKS THE LAWS OF NATURE.
REPORTER: RESEARCHERS WANT TO
LEARN MORE ABOUT SOLAR WIND
WHICH HELPS PREDICT SPACE
WEATHER.
SATELLITE SYSTEMS ARE
AFFECTED BY SPACE WEATHER, TRY
TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE EFFECT
IS VERY IMPORTANT.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST
CHALLENGES IS MAKING SURE THE
SPACECRAFT DOES NOT MELT AS IT
APPROACHES THE SUN.
SCIENCE HAS DEVELOPED A HEAT
SHIELD MADE OUT OF CARBON THAT
WILL SIT ON TOP AND FUNCTION
LIKE A BASEBALL CAP.
THIS WILL BE THE JOY TO SEE
IT ALL COME TOGETHER.
DESIGNING THE HEAT SHIELD
OVER THE PAST DECADE, FINDING A
WAY TO WITH AND A TEMPERATURE
OF 2500 DEGREES TEMPERATURE OF
25000F.
TOGETHER WE CAN SHOW THAT
THE HEAT SHIELD WILL WORK AND
PERFORM LIKE WE THINK IT WILL
AT THE SUN.
