NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Makes History: First Spacecraft to Touch the Sun

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has made history by being the first spacecraft to touch the Sun. The probe launched in 2018, but just this past April on its eighth flyby it flew through the Sun’s upper atmosphere also known as the corona. There it was able to sample particles and the magnetic fields. The next flyby will be in January 2022 and scientists expect it to get closer still. Justin Kasper, Deputy Chief Technology Officer of BWX Technologies and professor at the University of Michigan, joins us for how humanity has touched the Sun.

Next, waves of Covid infections continue to cause problems for hospital systems facing staff shortages and that are already full treating people with other ailments. In most cases, those locking up the system are patients who are unvaccinated and it doesn’t stop in just one area. The ripple effects of transferring patients to different locations with space to treat them also puts a strain on hospital workers. Drew Armstrong, senior editor for healthcare at Bloomberg News, joins us for more.

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