Is the "solar wind" an actual wind? ? If it is, why doesn't it blow away our space probes?

Question

Henry Asbill · Accepted Answer

"Wind" is an analogy term used to help us understand the impact of the electromagnetic fields and particles similar to physical wind in the atmosphere.

The solar "wind" is a flow of electromagnetic energy and particles that originates from the sun; it does interact physically with our planet, as evidenced by the Aurora Borealis, but not all definitions used, even in science, are exactly the same or necessarily intended to explicitly describe the entire effect of some phenomena. It DOES affect other objects in space, including earth satellites, but not enough to have a significant short-term impact on their orbital mechanics. This is because the type of energy and mass transfer is very different from atmospheric "wind".

Henry Asbill · Answer

undefined The name "solar wind" is a bit misleading because it's not like wind on Earth; it's made up of charged particles, mostly protons and electrons, that are ejected from the Sun's upper atmosphere at high speeds. It's not a typical wind, but it can still exert pressure on objects in space, including spacecraft; space probes are made to be resistant to the effects of the solar wind by positioning sensitive components away from direct exposure and using protective shielding; further away from the Sun, the solar wind has less of an impact.