NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has triumphantly finished a bold plunge toward the Sun and has communicated back to Earth, confirming its well-being and operational status.

This spacecraft, which has traveled closer to the Sun than any other human-crafted object ever, sent a “beacon tone” shortly after midnight on Friday, Dec. 27, as reported by NASA. This signal confirms that the probe is functioning and in excellent condition after its record-setting flight.

On Christmas Eve, the Parker Solar Probe attained an extraordinary distance of merely 3.8 million miles (6.1 million kilometers) from the Sun’s surface—seven times nearer than any earlier mission. During this close approach, the probe also established a new benchmark as the fastest human-made object known, all while being protected from the Sun’s fierce heat by its cutting-edge thermal shielding.

The mission continues onward. On the night of Dec. 26, NASA’s mission operations team at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, received the probe’s beacon signal. Comprehensive telemetry about the spacecraft’s condition is anticipated to arrive on Jan. 1, offering deeper insights into its historic expedition.

Fitted with advanced instruments aimed at measuring and imaging the solar wind, the Parker Solar Probe is also focused on investigating the Sun’s coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Researchers are particularly enthusiastic for the probe to interact with one of these immense solar eruptions, as it could furnish significant data on how CMEs propel particles into space.

If everything proceeds as planned, the Parker Solar Probe is set to perform two more close encounters with the Sun in March and June 2025, furthering its trailblazing exploration of our star.

For additional details on NASA’s recent accomplishments, explore their rigorous testing of the Orion spacecraft for the Artemis moon mission.