The unmanned spacecraft Helios 2 approached within 43.5 million km 27million miles of the Sun, carrying both US and West German instrumentation, on April 16, 1976 (? Highest velocity). Due for launch in 2015, NASA’s Solar Probe+ will attempt to study the Sun from as close as 6.2 million km (3.9 million miles), from within the Sun’s outer atmosphere or corona. Travelling at 200 km/sec (125 miles/sec), the spacecraft will have to survive temperatures of up to 1,420 C (2,600 F).

Sweden’s Jonas Jacobsson has won more medals than any other male athlete at the Paralympics. Having competed at every Games since Arnhem 1980 in the Netherlands, Jonas has amassed a record 27 shooting medals, including 16 golds. At Beijing 2008, he won three titles, in the Air Rifle Standing, the Free Rifle 3×40 and the Mixed Free Rifle Prone.

The most medals won by an individual at the Summer Paralympics is 46, by Trischa Zorn (USA) – 32 gold, nine silver and five bronze in swimming events between 1980 and 2004.

The most gold medals won by an individual at the Summer Paralympics is 32, by Trischa Zorn (USA) in swimming events between 1980 and 2004.