NASA will fly a spacecraft directly into the Sun in a bid to unlock the secrets of solar storms that plays havoc with satellites and power supplies, the agency has announced.

The unmanned probe will travel to within four million miles of the star’s surface, inside its Corona, or outer layer, and will have to withstand temperatures of almost 1,400 degrees.

Set to launch next year, the Parker Solar Probe promises to “revolutionise” mankind’s understanding of the Sun and the origins of physics, scientists said last night, as well as helping protect equipment from solar radiation.