NASA's Solar Probe Triumphs and Blue Origin Rockets into Competition

NASA's Parker Solar Probe has made the closest-ever approach to the Sun, operating safely 3.8 million miles from its surface to study the corona. Concurrently, Blue Origin received an FAA license to launch its New Glenn rocket, positioning it to compete in national security space missions.

NASA has announced a significant milestone for its Parker Solar Probe, which has successfully completed the closest-ever approach to the Sun by any human-made object. The spacecraft ventured to within 3.8 million miles of the solar surface on December 24, exploring the sun's outer atmosphere, known as the corona, to gather crucial data about Earth's nearest star.

Meanwhile, Blue Origin, the rocket company founded by Jeff Bezos, has obtained its first commercial space launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration for its New Glenn rocket. This announcement marks Blue Origin's official entry into the competitive field of space exploration, where it will vie for national security space missions against formidable competitors like Elon Musk's SpaceX and the United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

The FAA's decision places Blue Origin among other top contenders in the rapidly evolving commercial space sector, highlighting the growing interest and investment in accessing and exploring space, both for commercial advantage and national security purposes.

(With inputs from agencies.)