Parker Solar Probe checks in after its 29th close pass of the Sun.

NASA said Parker Solar Probe completed its 29th perihelion on Sept. 4 and later returned a status signal confirming normal operation. The spacecraft matched its record proximity of about 3.8 million miles from the solar surface and speed of roughly 430,000 mph while its four instrument packages observed the near-Sun environment.

The mission team expects the encounter data to be transmitted from Sept. 13 through Sept. 27. Parker's mission has been extended through 2029, allowing repeated measurements at similar extreme geometry. The immediate update confirms spacecraft health; scientific findings will follow after the data are received and analysed.