Parker Solar Probe: First Solar Encounter (Invited Presentation)

The Parker Solar Probe (PSP) is on its journey to unveil the mysteries of the solar corona and inner heliosphere. PSP launched successfully on August 12, 2018 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. PSP is the first mission to fly into the solar corona and provide answers to questions that puzzled scientists for many decades: how the coronal plasma is heated to multi-million degrees and accelerated to hundreds of kilometers per second and how hazardous solar energetic particles are accelerated and transported near the Sun. PSP measurements may also lead to discoveries of phenomena that are completely unknown to us now. PSP uses an innovative mission design, significant technology development and a risk-reducing engineering development to meet the science objectives.

We provide an overview on the status of the mission and science data post-launch and during the first solar encounter.