See how the heat shield of the probe that will study the sun works

Since rockets began to be launched in a controlled manner, we have sent spacecraft into space to try to better understand our solar system. Most of the vehicles were aimed at Mars, Jupiter and even Pluto, but now the attention is turned to the Sun.

You don't have to be a NASA engineer to understand that getting too close to it makes heat a big problem. Therefore, in order for the mission of the Parker Solar Probe probe, launched on the last 12th, to be successfully accomplished, a heat shield capable of withstanding solar heat has been developed.

Icarus's dream

The spacecraft will be approximately 6.4 million kilometers from the star, enough to heat the shield to an incredible 1, 371 ° C, while the equipment remains at a pleasant 29 ° C. The development of this decade-long item was an essential part of the mission, as it is no use launching a spaceship that will melt into fate.

The structure is composed of carbon-carbon plates at its ends - a lightweight material with great mechanical properties, especially at high temperatures - and of the ideal thickness to be sufficiently flexible and resilient. Among them, was placed carbon foam, material used as prosthesis of human bones and which has excellent heat dissipation.

Even so, the carbon-carbon inner face would reach an incredible 316 ° C, and the only way to dissipate so much heat in space, where there is no air, is to spread light and heat in the form of photons. For this purpose, a shiny white aluminum oxide-based external coating was placed which, with the aid of various auxiliary materials, will be able to dissipate heat satisfactorily, keeping the temperature of the equipment low enough.

This material is similar to ceramic, ie extremely fragile. Therefore, its surface is porous so that, when subjected to extremely high temperatures, it does not break due to natural expansion. The first pass near the Sun will take place only in 2024, but until then the probe will pass through Venus six times before testing the shield.

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See how the thermal shield of the probe that will study the Sun via TecMundo works