because of how close the probe will be to the sun, it will experience very high temperatures. to make sure that the probe is not damaged by the hot environment, engineers had to design a special shield to protect the sensitive components on the probe. the shield is made up of five layers. the outermost layer is a white ceramic layer which reflects away the sun's rays. by reflecting the rays away, it prevents the shield from heating up too much. the second layer is a barrier layer which connects the ceramic layer to the middle layer. the middle layer is a carbon-carbon sheet which is very light and strong. this helps keep the shield in one piece. the fourth layer is a carbon foam which is very light and does not conduct heat well. this again helps with keeping the temperature low. the fifth and final layer is a second carbon sheet which makes the entire shield rigid enough for spaceflight.