Parker Solar Probe preparations, June 2018. Parker Solar Probe in a clean room at Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Florida, USA, undergoing light bar testing. Originally called Solar Probe, and then Solar Probe Plus, this mission was renamed in May 2017 after solar astrophysicist Eugene Parker. The mission is being carried out by NASA and Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. The mission was launched in August 2018. The unmanned probe will approach to within 6 million kilometres of the solar surface (photosphere) using a solar shield for protection. Photographed on 5 June 2018.