NASA's Parker Solar Probe on track for sixth Venus flyby

NASA's Parker Solar Probe is on track for its sixth flyby of Venus, following the execution of a planned maneuver on August 3, 2023. This minor yet crucial adjustment shifted the spacecraft's trajectory by 77 miles, while simultaneously advancing its closest approach to Venus by 1.4 seconds.

The upcoming flyby, scheduled for Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, is the sixth of the seven planned flybys during which uses the spacecraft uses the planet’s gravity to tighten its orbit around the Sun.

The manoeuvre is critical for the probe to get the desired gravity assist at Venus. The timing and positioning intricacies hold immense significance for the success of the upcoming flyby, NASA said on Thursday.

"Parker's velocity is about 8.7 miles per second, so in terms of changing the spacecraft’s speed and direction, this trajectory correction maneuver may seem insignificant," said Yanping Guo, mission design and navigation manager at APL.

Exciting news! Parker Solar Probe is ready for its closest trip past Venus, thanks to a course correction on Aug. 3. This will be the sixth of seven approaches using Venus’ gravity to tighten its orbit around the Sun. Learn more: https://t.co/qH1Yh4DsRh pic.twitter.com/vRVRDRItVM

— NASA Sun & Space (@NASASun) August 10, 2023

The Parker Solar Probe embarked on a mission to unravel the enigmas enshrouding the Sun's dynamic atmosphere in 2018. Venturing closer to the Sun's surface than any spacecraft before, the spacecraft navigates the brutal onslaught of scorching heat and radiation.

The probe is poised to break its own records for speed and solar distance at closest approach. As the spacecraft hurtles towards its closest rendezvous with the Sun's surface, at a mere distance of 4.5 million miles, it will be travelling at a staggering velocity of 394,742 miles per hour - fast enough to get from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., in one second -on September 27, 2023.