NASA's Parker Solar Probe lifts off successfully
Miami, Aug 12 : NASA on Sunday successfully launched the Parker Solar Probe, the US space agency's historic small car-size probe to "touch the Sun," from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
"3-2-1... and we have liftoff of Parker #SolarProbe atop @ULAlaunch's #DeltaIV Heavy rocket," the US-based space agency tweeted.
The launch was initially planned for Saturday morning.
The probe is named after Eugene Parker, a solar physicist, who in 1958 first predicted the existence of the solar wind, a stream of charged particles and magnetic fields that flow continuously from the sun.
Nestled atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy -- one of the world's most powerful rockets -- with a third stage added, Parker Solar Probe will blasted off toward the sun with a whopping 55 times more energy than was required to reach Mars.
Weighing just 635 kgs, it is a relatively light spacecraft, Andy Driesman, project manager for the mission at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in the US, said in an earlier statement.
Zooming through space in a highly elliptical orbit, the Parker Solar Probe will reach speeds of up to 700,000 kms per hour, setting the record for the fastest spacecraft in history.
During its nominal mission lifetime of just under seven years, the Parker Solar Probe will complete 24 orbits of the Sun -- reaching within 3.8 million miles of the Sun's surface at the closest approach.
In an orbit this close to the Sun, the real challenge is to keep the spacecraft from burning up.
3-2-1… and we have liftoff of Parker #SolarProbe atop @ULAlaunch’s #DeltaIV Heavy rocket. Tune in as we broadcast our mission to “touch” the Sun: https://t.co/T3F4bqeATB pic.twitter.com/Ah4023Vfvn
— NASA (@NASA) August 12, 2018
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Will follow Shinde in any direction he goes: MLA Shirsat on allying with Pawar Sr for CM post
Mumbai, Nov 21: Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Shirsat on Thursday said his party leaders will follow Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in any direction he goes post-assembly poll results and decisions taken by him will be acceptable to them.
He asserted the party will solidly back Shinde, who heads the Shiv Sena, as it trusts his leadership, comments coming two days ahead of the state assembly poll results.
Asked what if Shinde goes with rival NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar to become the chief minister for a second time, Shirsat said, "We are committed to (follow) whatever Eknath Shinde decides. We will be solidly with him. We trust him and it will always be there."
The MLA from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (West) was responding to the question asked on a TV channel.
Shirsat said Shinde, who took over as CM in June 2022 after revolting against the then leadership of the Shiv Sena, only goes in the "right direction" and this has been the experience of party leaders.
Shirsat was one of the Shiv Sena MLAs who sided with Shinde at the time of the revolt.
Asked about the comments of his ally, BJP leader Pravin Darekar said, "Shirsat's remarks do not reflect the official stance of the party. Eknath Shinde's party contested against Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP). Such an alliance with the MVA was inconceivable."
The BJP, Shinde-led Shiv Sena and NCP headed by deputy CM Ajit Pawar are members of the ruling Mahayuti alliance. On the other hand, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) consists of the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar).
Asked what if Shinde is not made the CM again if Mahayuti retains power, Shirsat said, "A decision on this will be taken only by Eknath Shinde. It's his right and we cannot even comment on it. Whatever decision Shinde takes will be acceptable to us."
Voting for the 288-member state assembly concluded on November 20 and results will be declared on November 23.
