1
00:00:00,210 --> 00:00:04,470
Parker Solar Probe Spacecraft Tour with Patrick Hill, Deputy Project Manager

2
00:00:04,490 --> 00:00:08,650
Patrick Hill: Hi, I'm Patrick Hill,

3
00:00:08,670 --> 00:00:12,780
Deputy Project Manager for NASA’s Parker Solar Probe.

4
00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:17,060
I’d like to take you on a tour of this pioneering spacecraft - designed, built, 

5
00:00:17,080 --> 00:00:21,160
and soon to be operated by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. 

6
00:00:21,180 --> 00:00:25,370
In just a couple of weeks a Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle will rocket Parker Solar Probe

7
00:00:25,390 --> 00:00:29,650
out of Earth’s atmosphere and begin its long-awaited Mission to Touch the Sun.

8
00:00:29,670 --> 00:00:33,860
There are three main technologies on Parker Solar Probe that make this mission possible

9
00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:38,140
and they all play an integral part in keeping the spacecraft and scientific instruments 

10
00:00:38,160 --> 00:00:42,210
safe, healthy, and operating at peak performance. 

11
00:00:42,230 --> 00:00:46,400
The Thermal Protection System or TPS is an essential technology 

12
00:00:46,420 --> 00:00:50,610
that enables Parker Solar Probe to get so close to the Sun. 

13
00:00:50,630 --> 00:00:54,900
During closest approach the Sun-facing side of the TPS will see temperatures around 2,500 °F, 

14
00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:59,090
meanwhile the spacecraft itself will be closer to the room temperature, 

15
00:00:59,110 --> 00:01:03,380
around 85 °F.Everything hides behind the shadow 

16
00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:07,560
or umbra of the TPS, except for a few brave instruments, the FIELDS 

17
00:01:07,580 --> 00:01:11,830
electrical wave antennas and the SWEAP Solar Probe Cup,

18
00:01:11,850 --> 00:01:16,040
both of which have their own heat shields.

19
00:01:16,060 --> 00:01:20,200
Like many spacecraft, Parker Solar Probe is powered by solar arrays. 

20
00:01:20,220 --> 00:01:24,380
There are two on each side of the spacecraft, currently hidden beneath their protective covers. 

21
00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:28,580
What’s different about our solar arrays is they must operate within the final 

22
00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:32,770
5% of the distance between the Earth and the Sun. That’s too much energy 

23
00:01:32,790 --> 00:01:36,940
for conventionally designed solar powered systems. 

24
00:01:36,960 --> 00:01:41,140
The first thing we do is use the actuator motors to move the solar arrays 

25
00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:45,330
behind the umbra of the TPS, such that only the leading edge

26
00:01:45,350 --> 00:01:49,610
are exposed to the sun. That small amount of illuminated surface produces enough

27
00:01:49,630 --> 00:01:53,880
energy to power the spacecraft and all of the instruments.

28
00:01:53,900 --> 00:01:58,140
The spacecraft uses an innovative cooling system that circulates water throughout both arrays. 

29
00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:02,390
The heated water is then transported to these large radiators

30
00:02:02,410 --> 00:02:06,500
hidden behind the TPS which then radiates that heat out to deep space.

31
00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:10,780
Parker Solar Probe is the first spacecraft to utilize an actively water-cooled solar array system. 

32
00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:15,020
During solar encounters the Sun itself 

33
00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:19,230
blocks Parker Solar Probe from receiving commands from Earth

34
00:02:19,250 --> 00:02:23,440
and it must rely on its own autonomous systems to keep the spacecraft and science instruments safe. 

35
00:02:23,460 --> 00:02:27,690
We’ve placed Solar Limb Sensors all over the spacecraft 

36
00:02:27,710 --> 00:02:31,800
to determine when it’s receiving too much sunlight,

37
00:02:31,820 --> 00:02:35,980
autonomy then determines how best to position the spacecraft by sending commands to the reaction wheels 

38
00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:40,090
which adjust the probe’s position in space.

39
00:02:40,110 --> 00:02:44,360
Parker Solar Probe is one of the most autonomous spacecraft ever designed. 

40
00:02:44,380 --> 00:02:48,610
Parker Solar Probe culminates of the work of tens of thousands of people at NASA, APL, 

41
00:02:48,630 --> 00:02:52,790
and our partners all across the country and all over the World. 

42
00:02:52,810 --> 00:02:56,970
It’s been an honor to work with such a deeply dedicated and knowledgeable team of scientists, 

43
00:02:56,990 --> 00:03:01,160
engineers, and technicians. I can only wonder what we will discover

44
00:03:01,180 --> 00:03:03,196
on our Mission to Touch the Sun!