To the Sun and Beyond: Lessons from the Parker Solar Probe
By Loh Ghee Juan

On Tuesday, 14 December 2021, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States of America announced that their spacecraft, the Parker Solar Probe, had touched the outer layer of the sun for the very first time.

Launched in 2018, the probe travelled through space for three years before finally passing through the corona, the sun’s outermost layer. It is an unimaginable feat, as temperatures in the corona can reach 3.5 million ⁰F. How then is it possible?

The sun does not technically have a solid surface but a superheated atmosphere made of solar material. To explore the corona, the spacecraft and its instruments must be protected from intense radiation. Scientists managed to build a shield that always faces the sun, even as the spacecraft moves constantly in a circular solar orbit. This shield disperses heat so effectively that while the sun-facing side reaches 2,500 ⁰F, the back is maintained just above a room temperature of 85 ⁰F.

What can we learn from this phenomenal success? The most important lesson is that nothing is impossible when we have a clear objective. We must also not be afraid to make mistakes. By analysing failures and reflecting on our actions, we reduce the likelihood of repeating negative outcomes.

Why then do some students struggle to learn from mistakes? Often, they are too protected by adults who intervene to solve their problems, depriving them of the opportunity to develop foresight, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Students should be allowed to navigate the mental maze of “if this, then that… and now what?”

A study by Nate Kornell et al. (2012) at UCLA demonstrated that people retain information better when they initially fail to retrieve the correct answer. This is why teachers provide extended time rather than immediate answers; it allows learning to be constructed and integrated into a student’s mental structure. By embracing mistakes, students grow stronger mentally and cognitively, staying focused on their ambitions. It will not be smooth sailing, but with perseverance and sacrifice, they can reach great heights. Where there is a will, there is always a way!

 

Vocabulary Gallery

Corona: The rarefied gaseous envelope of the sun and other stars.

Radiation: The emission of energy as electromagnetic waves or as moving subatomic particles.

Dispersed: Distributed or spread over a wide area.

Objective: A thing aimed at or sought; a goal.

Foresight: The ability to predict or the action of predicting what will happen or be needed in the future.

Retain: To continue to have or keep something in place; in this context, to keep information in one’s memory.

Integrated: With various parts or aspects linked or coordinated.

Perseverance: Persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.

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