Parker Solar Probe Successfully Completes First Venus Flyby – Parker Solar Probe

Parker Solar Probe Successfully Completes First Venus Flyby – Parker Solar Probe

Parker Solar Probe Successfully Completes First Venus Flyby

Sarah FrazierPosted onOctober 3, 2018

On Oct. 3, Parker Solar Probe successfully completed its flyby of Venus at a distance of about 1,500 miles during the first Venus gravity assist of the mission. These gravity assists will help the spacecraft tighten its orbit closer and closer to the Sun over the course of the mission.

Detailed data from the flyby will be assessed over the next few days. This data allows the flight operations team to prepare for the remaining six Venus gravity assists which will occur over the course of the seven-year mission.

The orbit design for the Parker Solar Probe mission. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL