The Fastest Thing Ever Made by Humans Is a Space Probe

The Parker Solar Probe, launched in 2018, is the fastest human-made object in history. When it swept within 3.8 million miles of the Sun in December 2024, it reached about 692,000 km/h (430,000 mph). That’s fast enough to travel from New York to Los Angeles in about 20 seconds. It keeps repeating passes at that distance, studying the Sun’s outer layers.