This one will be the hottest ride in the livery. (Parker Solar Probe)

[insert_name]

It's beaten out Helios 2 now

http://nasa.gov/feature/parker-solar-probe-breaks-record-becomes-closest-spacecraft-to-sun

[Ho Lam Kerman]

My name is on the fastest ever object relative to the Sun and the closest object ever to the Sun!

Take that, Helios 2!  

[Ultimate Steve]

1 hour ago, Ho Lam Kerman said:

My name is on the fastest ever object relative to the Sun and the closest object ever to the Sun!

Take that, Helios 2!  

Mine too!

[YNM]

I missed the correct timing by a whole lot but eh, whatever I guess. Very parker square-ish.

 

[Ultimate Steve]

That actually makes me curious... What if you used a Jupiter gravity assist to get a low perihelion instead of 7 Venus flybys? The orbital period would be longer, but would getting to perihelion quicker and lower be worth it?

[wumpus]

One Venus year = 224 Earth days.  7 Venus years = 1568 Earth days

Time to Jupiter: 550-560 days.  So 2/3rds the time for there and back again.

But you get your Mercury transits much faster than every 224 days (not sure how *much* faster, but faster), and if you used a Jupiter injection it would be heading back to Jupiter (taking at least over 650 days) and with a much smaller time within Mercury (but probably still long enough for steady state temperature soak).  It only works if you are willing to fire your engine near Mercury to lower apposis to within Venus or so.

And even then, I suspect that the last few Venus flybys are within an orbit much faster than 224 days, so the time might be closer than that.

Edited November 2, 2018 by wumpus

[YNM]

19 minutes ago, Ultimate Steve said:

The orbital period would be longer, but would getting to perihelion quicker and lower be worth it?

Ulysses used a similar tactic albeit to change inclination.

I think the biggest problem is that most gravity assist from Jupiter either results in resonant orbit (so you're definitely going to be swung around again, either deeper in or farther out) or just thrown out entirely.

I guess getting out of the giant's way is a wiser choice.

[MinimumSky5]

There's also the problem of power, as while you can make panels for use at Jupiter (as Juno proved) I doubt that you could make panels that could also work that close to the sun. 

[MaverickSawyer]

Furthermore, the approach with the Venus gravity assists gives more frequent frybys, and more time spent in science gathering regions than a Jovian assist flight plan would have.

[Green Baron]

51 minutes ago, MaverickSawyer said:

... frybys, ...

[MinimumSky5]

I mean, they're not wrong! 

But can we please petition NASA to start calling the perihelion passes frybys! 

[YNM]

On 11/3/2018 at 12:42 AM, MaverickSawyer said:

frybys

oh dear...