The Legacy Of Prof. Eugene Parker (U. of C.) Will Reach Forward, Over The Centuries Now... NASA's Solar Mission, At Four Years On...

Yes, she is (and call me. . . antiquated, if you like!) a thing of. . . unwasted grace. Strong, lithe and very speedy. Her brains, and communication -- through the inky-black silence of space -- are jaw slacking, as well. . . so, there you have it. . . smile!

And with solar max approaching, she will next month zip through the upper atmosphere of the Sun, in the most extreme "weather" there -- in over a decade. That will be her sixth plunge into what Sweet Will called the undiscovered country. . . where no other craft has ever been -- and lived to tell of it.

I also want to highlight the 60 years Prof. Parker spent, night after long night. . . studying solar phenomena. . . so as to merit being the only then-living human to ever have a craft named for him. Here's to the U. of C.'s vision, in supporting his work for all those decades. And this craft, bearing his name -- will ensure his legacy now stretches. . . into several future centuries. Here's the latest, from NASA:

. . .The spacecraft’s stellar performance has opened the door for the team to optimize the amount of science returned from the mission.

“Our telecommunications links are more robust than our. . . predictions, allowing us to downlink at higher bit rates,” said Kinnison. “As a result, the scientists have been able to collect and downlink about three times more data than planned before launch. This means we’re able to study the Sun in more detail during each encounter but also greatly increase science return when we’re farther away. It also means we can collect data in special circumstances like Venus flybys, well beyond our basic science objectives.”

Over the course of the mission, Parker has sent back roughly 2.8 terabytes of scientific data, approximately equivalent to the amount of data in 200 hours of 4K video. Scientists worldwide will use this data for years to come to develop a better understanding of the Sun’s effects on Earth and our solar system. . . .

Next month, Parker will complete its 13th perihelion, its closest approach to the Sun in this orbit. During that encounter, it will fly through the Sun’s upper atmosphere, the corona, for the sixth time. . . .

Off now, to get ready for a two year old baby grrl's party, and a rainbow cake, this fine sunny afternoon. . . smile.

नमस्ते