The Parker Solar Probe utilizes a 4.5 inch carbon-foam heat shield to survive temperatures up to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit. This thermal protection system allows the spacecraft to fly through the Sun's corona at 430,000 miles per hour by maintaining a steep temperature gradient between the shield and the instruments. By combining carbon-carbon composite panels with a lightweight carbon-foam core and a reflective white coating, NASA has created a shield that reflects solar energy and prevents heat conduction. This material science enables the probe to sample the solar atmosphere and study the Sun's corona in unprecedented detail.
