The probe on a mission to touch the Sun | Nour E. Rawafi (re-release)

In this re-released episode of TED Tech, host Sherelle Dorsey welcomes astrophysicist Noor E. Rawafi to discuss the groundbreaking Parker Solar Probe mission—the first spacecraft to fly through the Sun’s corona. Rawafi shares the awe and scientific urgency behind humanity’s quest to understand our life-giving star, highlighting the Sun’s dual nature as both a source of life and a volatile force capable of catastrophic geomagnetic storms. The episode explores the mission’s technological marvels, including the heat shield that protects the probe from 1,000°C temperatures and the innovative water-cooling system that keeps instruments operational. Rawafi emphasizes the profound implications of solar activity, from the potential for a new solar grand minimum—possibly overdue and capable of triggering climate shifts—to the existential threat posed by coronal mass ejections to modern infrastructure. The mission not only advances our understanding of solar physics but also underscores the vital need to monitor the Sun for planetary resilience and long-term survival.