Human-Made Object Sets New Speed Record Breaking Its Own Previous Record

NASA's Parker Solar Probe, tasked with a close look at the outer layer of the Sun, has now equalled the record for the fastest human-made object. The previous record holder was also Parker. It was noted that the probe traveled at a speed of 635,266 kilometers per hour on June 29th. This marks the second time it has reached this speed since its launch in 2018. We are talking about a speed that is approximately 500 times faster than the speed of sound. When it reaches its closest position to the Sun in 2025, it is expected to reach a maximum speed of around 692,000 km/s. This speed is enough to travel from Istanbul to Australia in about a minute. Achieving these incredible speeds is all about timing and momentum. Parker aligns with the orbit of Venus while orbiting the Sun and creates a kind of gravity-assisted slingshot using the gravitational pull of the moving planet. The probe will eventually approach the rotating ultra-hot plasma mass surrounding the Sun and make various measurements to help improve our scientific understanding. Parker completed its 20th close approach by approaching 7.26 million kilometers to what is believed to be the surface of the Sun's ionized gas layer. It is expected to eventually approach within 6.12 million kilometers.