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Planets, moons and space

Parker Solar Probe

The Parker Solar Probe is a NASA spacecraft launched to study the Sun’s outer atmosphere at close range.

Also known as: Parker probe, Solar Probe Plus

How big is it?

3 m · overall spacecraft height

Overall spacecraft height · approximate
Typical recorded range: 2.9 m to 3.1 m.

Scale illustration of the Parker Solar Probe, showing the recorded overall spacecraft height.
Recorded overall spacecraft height: 3 m.

A little perspective

Parker Solar Probe vs Table tennis table: length comparison

The overall spacecraft height of the Parker Solar Probe is about 1.09 times the length of a table tennis table.

Scale
Parker Solar Probe

The Parker Solar Probe is a NASA spacecraft launched to study the Sun’s outer atmosphere at close range.

3 mOverall spacecraft height
0 - shared origin
Table tennis table

A table tennis table is a flat, rectangular surface divided by a net for playing the game of table tennis.

2.74 mLength
0 - shared origin

Both rulers start at the same zero and share one linear scale. Artwork keeps its original proportions. Horizontal rulers compare the selected spans; vertical brackets also identify height on the artwork.

Measurements, assumptions & sources +

Parker Solar Probe

Overall spacecraft height: 3 m; approximate; range 2.9 m–3.1 m.

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is approximately 3 m high with a 2.3 m heat-shield diameter and had a launch mass of about 685 kg. The deployed solar arrays and instrument appendages do not define the calibrated height.

NASA — Parker Solar Probe mission

The marked overall spacecraft height is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.

Table tennis table

Length: 2.74 m; standard.

2.74 × 1.525 m playing surface. Excludes surrounding space.

WA Government — table tennis dimensions

The marked length is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.

Use the visual comparison to explore its scale, then check the measurements and sources.

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Why this measurement?

Why we use 3 m

We compare the overall spacecraft height of the Parker Solar Probe. This is an estimate; check the notes for its rounding and uncertainty. The recorded range is 2.9 m to 3.1 m.

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is approximately 3 m high with a 2.3 m heat-shield diameter and had a launch mass of about 685 kg. The deployed solar arrays and instrument appendages do not define the calibrated height.

The marked vertical span follows the measured feature, not the edges of the image. How calibrated comparisons work →

Explore planets, moons and space →

Recorded properties

Dimensions and measurements

PropertySelected valueRecorded rangeBasis
3 m2.9 m to 3.1 mapproximate
685 kg680 kg to 690 kgapproximate

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Sources and method

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