Parker Solar Probe: Ambitious mission to study the sun delayed by 24 hours

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NASA's ambitious mission to study the Sun will have to wait 24-hours. Technical problems meant the spacecraft missed its launch window on Saturday. The Parker Solar probe will orbit the sun seven-times closer than any other spacecraft. CGTN's John Zarrella has more from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The Sun. Sixty years ago scientists first proposed a mission to study it. Back then, the technology simply did not exist. Now it does. At least, that's the hope. During its seven-year mission, the Parker Solar Probe will orbit the sun two dozen times. It's closest approach within six million kilometers of the surface that's seven times closer than any spacecraft ever.

JOHN ZARRELLA CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA "So, why a trip to study the sun? The more we know about it, the better we can understand how life developed here on earth. And because scientists say, the sun does some head scratching stuff."

Off the surface, in the corona, temperatures are thousands of degrees hotter than on the surface. Laws of physics say that shouldn't happen. And little is known about solar winds that begin as a gentle breeze but zip by Earth at hundreds of kilometers per second. Disturbances in this solar wind, called space weather, can interrupt communications, change the orbit of satellites and...

ALEX YOUNG PARKER PROBE SOLAR SCIENTIST "It creates a hazardous environment for astronauts and in the most extreme cases of these space weather events can affect our power grids here on Earth."

As Parker makes its closest approach, the spacecraft's state of the art carbon heat shield must stand up to temperatures of thirteen hundred degrees Celsius. On board sensors keep the heat shield lined up just right.

BETSY CONGDON THERMAL PROTECTION SYSTEM LEAD ENGINEER "It basically has to always be sensing whether or not the heat shield is in the right position and correct itself if it isn't."

Parker will pass through the corona at a stunning 700 thousand kilometers per hour. At that speed, you could fly from Washington, D.C. to Tokyo in under one minute. The probe is also carrying a microchip containing more than one million names. Star Trek actor William Shatner promoted the sign up effort.

WILLIAM SHATNER PARKER SOLAR PROBE PROMOTION "This summer we're going to touch the Sun."

Going to a region of the solar system never before explored, Parker is considered one of the most daring missions of discovery ever undertaken. John Zarrella, CGTN, Cape Canaveral, Florida.