The NASA spacecraft that will travel to the Sun just gets its super deluxe heat shield

In August, NASA will launch a new interplanetary spacecraft to "touch" the sun – and the vehicle just gets its super durable heat shield for the trip. At the end of June, engineers installed the protective shield on the gear, dubbed Parker Solar Probe, Florida, where it is currently prepared for launch. The heat shield will keep the probe relatively cool as it encounters hot temperatures near the star of our solar system.

The Parker solar sensor is designed to get closer to the sun more than any other vehicle before it. The probe will be located just 4 million miles from the Sun's surface, where it will interact with the solar corona, or the outside atmosphere. The goal is to find out more about how heat circulates in this strange region of space. From time to time, the particles in the crown heat up and grow from the sun in what is called the solar wind. This particle flow can mingle with the Earth's magnetic field, causing geomagnetic storms that disrupt our satellites and our power grid and create auroras. NASA is interested in understanding the mechanisms that underlie this phenomenon to better understand how the solar wind occurs

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However, the shield should be able to do the trick. It is intended to protect everything that falls in its shadow, which should cover the spaceship and its instruments. The shield also sports a special white coating to reflect the warmth of the sun. If it's doing its job properly, the shield will reach temperatures of over 2500 degrees Fahrenheit while the Parker solar probe will remain at only 85 degrees Fahrenheit

With the installation of the shield, the Parker solar probe is almost ready for launch. The spacecraft is expected to be launched on a Delta IV Heavy rocket, manufactured by United Launch Alliance, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, starting Aug. 4.