### Parker Solar Probe Set for Final Venus Flyby to Propel Towards the Sun

NASA's Parker Solar Probe is scheduled to execute its seventh and final flyby of Venus, utilizing the planet's gravitational pull to propel itself towards an unprecedented close encounter with the Sun's surface. This critical flyby will bring the probe within 233 miles (376 kilometers) of Venus’s surface, setting the stage for it to achieve the closest approach any human-made object has ever made to the Sun.

The probe's proximity to Venus, during this maneuver, will allow it to exploit the gravitational force of the planet, effectively slingshotting the spacecraft towards our star. Such gravity assists are an essential strategy for space agencies, permitting spacecraft to conserve precious fuel.

The Parker Solar Probe has previously undertaken perilous journeys close to the Sun; notably, in 2021, it flew through a coronal mass ejection, capturing detailed video footage of the intense solar environment. Similarly, in September 2022, the probe's mission provided valuable insights into the interaction between the Sun's plasma and the surrounding interplanetary dust.

These flybys also afford unique opportunities for close-up imaging of celestial bodies. In earlier flybys during 2020 and 2021, Parker's Wide-Field Imager (WISPR) captured detailed images of Venus's surface. These images, showing infrared emissions through the dense cloud cover, complemented data from the Magellan spacecraft of 30 years prior.

According to Noam Izenberg, a space scientist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, the upcoming November 6 flyby will enable a comparative analysis of different Venusian landforms. This could provide insights into the planet’s physical or chemical properties, enhancing our understanding of Venus’s geology.

When Parker reaches its closest approach to the Sun on December 24, it will pass within 3.86 million miles (6.12 million kilometers) of the star's surface and travel through plasma plumes at speeds of 430,000 miles per hour (692,000 kilometers per hour). During this critical phase, the probe will temporarily lose contact with mission control but is expected to signal its status by December 27.

The Parker Solar Probe mission, which is slated to conclude in 2025, marks a significant milestone in space exploration. By achieving these daring feats, it paves the way for future missions to build upon its groundbreaking discoveries.