NASA's mission to "touch the sun"

The Parker Solar Probe was launched on Sunday in a mission to venture closer to the Sun than ever before.

Its seven-year mission will bring it to within 3.8 million miles of the solar surface.

That might sound like a lot - but it’s seven times closer than any previous spacecraft.

A heat shield has been designed to keep Parker's instruments at a tolerable 85 degrees Fahrenheit or 29 degrees Celsius.