NASA's Parker Solar Probe Breaks Speed Record Near the Sun

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe just set a new speed record, flying closer to the Sun than any spacecraft before to study the solar corona.

NASA's Parker Solar Probe Sets New Speed Record. Image credit - NASA.

NASA's Parker Solar Probe has once again broken its own speed record, becoming the fastest human-made object in history as it flew through the Sun's atmosphere. The probe, launched in 2018, reached a blistering velocity of 687,000 km/h during its most recent close approach to the Sun. This speed is fast enough to travel from Kashmir to Kanyakumari in just 19 seconds.

This is the fourth time the probe has set this record, previously achieving new speed milestones on December 24, 2024, March 22, 2025, and June 19, 2025. The latest record was recorded between September 10 and 20, 2025, as the spacecraft conducted its mission inside the Sun's corona, the outermost layer of the solar atmosphere.

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Context and Significance

The Parker Solar Probe is on a groundbreaking mission to unravel the mysteries of our Sun. Part of NASA's broader Living With a Star (LWS) program, the probe is designed to provide unprecedented insights into the Sun's corona and the solar wind it generates, which significantly impacts the entire solar system. 

Understanding these phenomena is crucial for predicting "space weather" events that can disrupt satellites, power grids, and communication systems on Earth. The probe's mission will continue beyond 2026, offering long-term data on our nearest star.

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Timeliness and Sources

The scientific community is eagerly awaiting the data from this latest close encounter. Science data from the probe's four instruments began to be returned to Earth on September 23, 2025. 

According to a statement from NASA, this information will provide critical new details about the solar environment, furthering our understanding of the dynamic Sun-Earth system. 

The probe's unprecedented proximity to the Sun allows it to collect direct measurements from a region never before visited by a spacecraft, making its findings particularly valuable.