Which NASA probe became the fastest human-made object after its 2018 launch toward the Sun?

Parker Solar Probe became the fastest human-made object after its 2018 launch toward the Sun.

NASA launched Parker Solar Probe on August 12, 2018, to investigate the Sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona. It uses repeated close approaches and gravity assists from Venus to reduce its orbital distance from the Sun.

The spacecraft is protected by a carbon-composite heat shield, while its instruments measure particles, magnetic fields, and solar-wind phenomena. In 2021, Parker became the first spacecraft to fly through the Sun’s corona.

Its speed increases dramatically during close solar passes. The mission is designed to explain how the corona becomes so hot and how the solar wind is accelerated, questions central to understanding space weather.