Parker Solar Probe brushes the Sun for the 28th time, breaking its own records for distance and speed

The NASA Parker Solar Probe completed its 28th approach to the Sun, coming within just 3.8 million miles of the surface and reaching a speed of 430,000 miles per hour. This step marks a new milestone in the mission that has been studying our star for eight years.

The spacecraft began its approach on June 3 and sent a beacon signal on Thursday to confirm that everything was in order. Since its launch in 2018, the Parker has been getting closer and closer, breaking its own records for distance and speed. In the first flyby, it reached “only” 213,200 mph at 15 million miles.

Despite the extreme heat endured by the thermal shield —which reaches nearly 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit— the probe remains in excellent condition. Engineers highlight that the internal temperature remains stable thanks to thermal blankets, indicating that the shield is not degrading.

“That thermal consistency is a key indicator of the spacecraft's health,” explained John Wirzburger, systems engineer for the mission at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.

The Parker and the Solar Cycle

The probe observes solar wind and stellar activity throughout the Sun's 11-year cycle. It arrived during the solar minimum and has already witnessed the maximum, confirmed in 2024, with more sunspots, flares, and coronal mass ejections. This data will be key to better understanding space weather.

On another note, there was historic news in the energy sector in the United States. According to a report by Ember, in May 2026, solar energy generated more electricity than coal for the first time: 12.8% of the mix compared to 12.2% from coal.

Solar generation reached a record of 45.5 TWh, while coal produced 43.4 TWh, 11% less than the previous year. In the last five years, coal's share has nearly halved, while solar has more than doubled.

This occurs despite the Trump administration's efforts to revive the coal industry, and shows that clean energies continue to gain ground. In March, renewables had already surpassed gas for the first time.