Born in Michigan in 1927, Parker contributed to studies in astrophysics in the mid-1950s and proposed several theories on how stars emit energy. Parker conceived the idea of solar wind phenomena, according to NASA.

"He called this cascade of energy the solar wind, and he described an entire complex system of plasmas, magnetic fields and energetic particles that make up this phenomenon," according to a NASA entry on Parker.

And the probe named for Parker — first launched in August 2018 — is collecting data on solar activity in order to help scientists predict space-weather events that will impact humans. It's the first agency mission to be named for a living person.

The probe has been launched for just 78 days, according to Andy Driesman, project manager at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. In a press release, Driesman said the spacecraft is already showing the results of humanity's progress in more closely encountering the star.

"It's a proud moment for the team, though we remain focused on our first solar encounter, which begins on Oct. 31," Driesman said.

The probe begins that first solar encounter Oct. 31., but the closest approach it's expected to make will happen Nov. 5 at about 10:28 p.m.

The Parker probe surpasses both the closest approach and heliocentric speed records set by the German-American Helios 2 spacecraft in April 1976. 

The probe is expected to break its own record in 2024 by obtaining a speed of 430,000 miles per hour. 

In the future, the probe is expected to keep shortening its distance from the sun. It'll eventually travel within four million miles of the star, where it'll face "brutal heat and radiation conditions while providing humanity with unprecedentedly close-up observations of a star and helping us understand phenomena that have puzzled scientists for decades," according to NASA. 

The mission is expected to revolutionize scientific understanding of the sun and its role in how it affects the Earth and the solar system.