Can NASA send a spacecraft to the sun?

Question

I calculate that the spacecraft would have to stay at least 1.3 million miles of the sun's surface because of the extreme heat. Just how hot is the sun? Besides, why study the sun up close?

I'm talking about an unmanned spacecraft. The surface temperature of the sun is about 3 million degrees F.

Answer 1

The European Space Agency already has a satellite orbiting the sun called the SOHO craft. It is much more distant than you describe but its images are spectacular. Many comet chasers use the website to discover new comets orbiting our sun. Just do a search for SOHO and ESA and you will find the site.

Answer 2

The closest approach of a probe to the Sun has been within 200,000,000 KM or 124,000,000 Miles by the Ulysses Probe.

http://ulysses.jpl.nasa.gov/


There are a couple of proposed missions to go relatively close to the Sun.

The European Space Agency has the Solar Orbiter Mission, scheduled to launch in 2015. It is expected to get within 45 Solar Radii, which would be about 31,275,000 KM or 19,390,500 Miles from the Sun.

http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/area/index.cfm?fareaid=45

The more ambitious project by NASA is the Solar Probe Mission. This mission is just in the proposal stage now, but they are designing a probe to get within 3 Radii of the Sun or 2,085,000 KM / 1,292,700 Miles.

http://solarprobe.gsfc.nasa.gov/solarprobe_mission.htm


Also NASA just launched the STEREO mission which will take 3-D images of the sun.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/stereo/main/index.html

As to why study the Sun Up Close, see the information listed on NASA Solar Probe Mission.

One of the important things to study are the solar flares and solar wind, both can have an impact on life on earth and our communication satellites

Answer 3

The surface of the sun is 5780 K (given that you use miles, I assume you'd want this in F: that is about 9900 F).
The core temperature is in the millions of degree (13 milion K); as it is the same as a thermonuclear bomb in there.
Why study up close? Because there is stuff that changes as soon as it leaves the sun. Because there are magnetic fields that can be detected only at close range. Because the conditions that exist in the corona are unique to that zone. And so on.

Answer 4

The problem is not just the heat, but the radiation as well. The "surface" of the sun (the visable surface) is about 6000 K. The core of the sun is about 13.6 million K. 500km above the photosphere surface, simple molecules can exist (CO and H2O).

Answer 5

The spacecraft will burn because the surface of the sun is too hot. And the radioactive will effect the cell in astronaut body.

Answer 6

ok, technically, you are able to no longer step on the solar. The solar is largely a super sphere of warm gas. So supposedly, in case you tried to step on the solar, you will fall via. i do no longer think of you will have time to declare words in that capture 22 issue.

Answer 7

no. because the space craft would burn up due to the heat the sun gives out.

Answer 8

doubt that it could get close enough to really be effective...?

Answer 9

they better go at night.