NASA's Parker Solar Probe made history on Tuesday with a record-breaking flight around the sun, the space agency has confirmed. The spacecraft set a new benchmark early on the morning of Dec. 24, coming within 3.

The probe accelerated to 430,000 mph, faster than any spacecraft has ever flown, traveling to within 3.8 million miles of the star’s surface.

NASA received a beacon tone from Parker Solar Probe on Dec. 27, 2024, after the spacecraft emerged from behind the sun three days after its close encounter with the sun.