NASA’s parker solar probe makes 1st close approach to sun

The spacecraft zoomed within 24 million kilometers of the sun, far closer than any mission had ever gotten before. The probe also set a speed record during its first solar encounter, which technically ran from October 31 through Monday.

At closest approach, the spacecraft topped out at 343,112 km/h relative to the sun, NASA officials said. The spacecraft will continue collecting science data through the end of the solar encounter phase on 11 November.