Diving into the Sun

While astronomers observe distant stars, our own star, the Sun, still keeps many misteries. NASA Solar Probe Plus spacecraft, planned to launch in 2018, will several times enter in the corona - Sun's atmosphere, to get data about its stucture, features and proton storms.

Image: JPL

685 kg probe will be launched on Aug 18, 2018, on top ot the largest (for the present) rocket Delta-IV Heavy with upper stage.

To approach the Sun, complex traectory is necessary, because of high Earth's velocity relative to the Sun - 30 km/s. After start, Solar Probe Plus will have to perform 7 Venus flybys to get gravity assists:

Image: JPL

After 6 years-long journey, probe will close up to 9 Solar radii - 7 times closer than any previous spacecraft. Then it will approach Sun every 88 days. Plans are for 11 close encounters, but it is unknown, how long it will resist high temperatures and radiation. During maximal approach its heat shield will be heated to 1450 C. Note, how solar panels hide behind heat shield while approaching the Sun:

Image: JPL 

Collected data will give us better understanding about processes in the Sun atmosphere, as well as about more deep plasma and fusion reactions.