The Sun's extreme heat and radiation make it impossible for spacecraft to physically land on or orbit it. However, several missions have flown *close* to the Sun to study it:

* Parker Solar Probe: Launched in 2018, this mission is currently making repeated close approaches to the Sun, studying its atmosphere and solar wind. It will eventually get as close as 3.83 million miles from the Sun's surface.

* SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory): Launched in 1995, this mission orbits the Sun at a point called the L1 Lagrange point, a stable location between the Earth and the Sun. It has provided incredible views of the Sun and has been instrumental in understanding solar activity.

While these missions are incredibly close to the Sun, they are still far enough away to avoid the Sun's extreme heat and radiation.