(Aug 18) A week ago today NASA’s Parker Solar Probe lifted off for a seven-year journey around the sun. NASA says the probe’s now more than 3 million miles from earth, performing well and hitting its first milestones. It’s deployed its high-gain antenna for communications, powered up an instrument suite, and is using its thrusters to slow and stabilize the flight. All this as the spacecraft aims for a gravity assist from Venus to make its first kiss with the sun on November 5. It’ll do 23 more solar flybys over the years to help scientists uncover the secrets of our sun. Carmen Roberts. Fox News