Because of how close the probe will be to the Sun, it will experience very high temperatures. To make sure that the probe is not damaged by the hot environment, engineers had to design a special shield to protect the sensitive components on the probe. The shield is made up of five layers. The outermost layer is a white ceramic layer which reflects away the Sun's rays. By reflecting the rays away, it prevents the shield from heating up too much. The second layer is a barrier layer which connects the ceramic layer to the middle layer. The middle layer is a carbon-carbon sheet which is very light and strong. This helps keep the shield in one piece. The fourth layer is a carbon foam which is very light and does not conduct heat well. This again helps with keeping the temperature low. The fifth and final layer is a second carbon sheet which makes the entire shield rigid enough for spaceflight.
Since the probe was launched from a rocket, it was very important to minimize its weight. If it was too heavy, the rocket would not be able to launch it far enough to complete its mission. Because of the well engineered materials in the shield, the entire shield only weighs 73 kg. That is about the same weight as an average adult human.
Eugene Parker
Eugene Newman Parker (born June 10, 1927) is an American solar astrophysicist. In the mid-1950s—developed the theory of the supersonic solar wind and predicted the Parker spiral shape of the solar magnetic field in the outer solar system.
In 1987, Parker proposed that the solar corona might be heated by myriad tiny "nanoflares" (similar to solar flares) that would happen all over the surface of the Sun.
Parker spent four years at the University of Utah and has been at the University of Chicago since 1955. Parker was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1967.
In 2017, NASA renamed its "Solar Probe Plus" to "Parker Solar Probe" in his honor, marking the first time NASA had named a spacecraft after a living person.
In 2018, the American Physical Society awarded him the Medal for Exceptional Achievement in Research.
Houghton, Michigan
Houghton () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper Peninsula and largest city in the Copper Country on the Keweenaw Peninsula. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,708. It is the county seat of Houghton County.
Huntington Woods, Michigan
Huntington Woods is a suburb of Detroit. It is in southeastern Oakland County, Michigan. The population was 6,238 at the 2010 census.
The western part of the Detroit Zoo is in Huntington Woods. In 2013, Huntington Woods was ranked the #10 best suburb to live in by Market Watch.
Milford, Michigan
Milford is a village in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,175 at the 2010 census.
Houghton Lake, Michigan
Houghton Lake is an unincorporated community in Roscommon Township, Roscommon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The Census Bureau called the settlement a census-designated place (CDP). The population was 3,749 at the 2000 census.
Upper Peninsula of Michigan
The Upper Peninsula (UP), also known as Upper Michigan, is the northern of the two major peninsulas that make up the U.S. state of Michigan. The peninsula is north by Lake Superior, on the east by the St. Marys River, on the southeast by Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, and on the southwest by Wisconsin.
The Upper Peninsula has 29% of the land area of Michigan but just 3% of its total population. Residents are frequently called "Yoopers".
The peninsula's largest cities are Marquette, Sault Ste. Marie, Escanaba, Menominee, Houghton, and Iron Mountain.
Maple syrup is a highly prized local delicacy.
Cath Kidston Limited
Cath Kidston Limited was registered with Companies House, on 3 April 1993. In 2009, the company's profits jumped more than 60 percent from £2.9million to £4.6million. Sales rose to £31.3m, compared with £19.3m the year before. This was partly due to new store openings. She sold most of her shares in the company in 2010. She sold them to private equity investors called TA Associates. She kept some shares. She is the company's Creative Director.
Kidston has worked with Milletts to design tents (2005-6). She designed mobile phones for Nokia and the Carphone Warehouse in 2006. She worked with Roberts to design radios, from 2005 onwards. In 2008 she worked with Tesco to produce shopping bags made from plastic bottles. The bags were sold to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care. They raised almost £500000. The bags saved about 6000000 plastic bottles from being used as landfill.
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Sault Ste. Marie is a city in, and the county seat of, Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is near the northeastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The population was 14,144 at the 2010 census.
Escanaba, Michigan
Escanaba ( ) is a port city in Delta County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located on Little Bay de Noc in the state's Upper Peninsula. The population was 12,616 at the 2010 census. It is the seat of government of Delta County.
Iron Mountain, Michigan
Iron Mountain is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 7,624 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Dickinson County. It is in the state's Upper Peninsula. Iron Mountain was named for the valuable iron ore found in the area.
Richard L. Hanna
Richard Louis Hanna (January 25, 1951 – March 15, 2020) was an American politician. He was a U.S. Representative from New York from 2011 to 2017. He was known for being the second Republican U.S. Representative to support same-sex marriage in the United States.
Hanna was known for his bipartisanship. He was against Obamacare and the Patriot Act. Hanna supported Equal Rights Amendment, abortion and supported female Democratic candidates.
In December 2015, Hanna announced he would not run for re-election in the 2016 election citing his retirement due to family issues.
On August 2, 2016, Hanna became the first sitting Republican member of Congress to say that he would vote for Hillary Clinton for President over Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election.
Hanna died on March 15, 2020 under hospice care in New Hartford, New York of cancer, aged 69.
Saugerties, New York
Saugerties () is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 19,482 at the 2010 census. Part of the town is inside Catskill Park.
Chief Keef
Keith Farrelle Cozart (born August 15, 1995), better known by his stage name Chief Keef, is an American rapper and record producer. He was born in South Side, Chicago and raised in Washington Park. Keef's music first became popular among high school students from Chicago's South Side during his teen years in the early 2010s.
In 2012, Keef's popular street single "I Don't Like" was remixed by rapper Kanye West, reaching the "Billboard" Top 10. His debut album "Finally Rich" was released in December 2012, and featured the successful singles "I Don't Like" and "Love Sosa".
Logic (rapper)
Sir Robert Bryson Hall II (born January 22, 1990), known by his stage name Logic, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer. He was born in Rockville, Maryland, but raised in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
Logic began his musical career in early 2009 releasing "Logic: The Mixtape" and a mixtape titled "Young, Broke & Infamous" in 2010. He signed with Visionary Music Group, before releasing three more mixtapes over three years.
His fourth mixtape, "" (2013), which made him very popular. He later released his debut studio album "Under Pressure" in October 2014, which debuted at number four on the U.S. "Billboard" 200. Logic's second studio album "The Incredible True Story" was released in November 2015, receiving mostly positive reviews from critics.