The Proba-3 launch is part of a commercial mission between ISRO and the European Space Agency to study the Sun.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set for the liftoff of the European Space Agency’s Proba-3 satellite from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh today (December 4) at 4:08 pm. The Proba-3 is part of the PSLV C-59 mission that is a commercial collaboration between ESA and ISRO via NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL).
“PSLV-C59, showcasing the proven expertise of ISRO, is ready to deliver ESA’s PROBA-3 satellites into orbit. This mission, powered by NSIL with ISRO’s engineering excellence, reflects the strength of international collaboration. A proud milestone in India’s space journey and a shining example of global partnerships,” said ISRO in a post on X.
🚀 Liftoff Day is Here!
PSLV-C59, showcasing the proven expertise of ISRO, is ready to deliver ESA’s PROBA-3 satellites into orbit. This mission, powered by NSIL with ISRO’s engineering excellence, reflects the strength of international collaboration.
🌌 A proud milestone in… pic.twitter.com/KUTe5zeyIb
— ISRO (@isro) December 4, 2024
Proba-3 is dubbed as the world’s first initiative to study the Sun, and comprises two spacecraft – the “Coronagraph Spacecraft (CSC) and the Occulter Spacecraft (OSC) – which will fly together as one in an elliptical orbit to study the Sun’s outer atmosphere.
The ISRO is using its flagship workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) for the commercial mission. The two satellites Coronagraph and Occulter would be launched together in a stacked configuration. They would be launched together as a single unit at the start.
How Does It Work?
After reaching the initial orbital conditions, they would fly 150 metres apart in tandem as one large satellite structure and maintain formation for around six hours at a time. The Occulter spacecraft would block the solar disk of the Sun to enable the other spacecraft to study the Sun’s atmosphere for scientific observation without interruption.
“The corona-much hotter than the Sun itself, is where space weather originates and a topic of widespread scientific and practical interest,” the ESA said. “The mission will demonstrate formation flying in the context of a large-scale science experiment. The two satellites will together form an approximately 150-metre long solar coronagraph to study the Sun’s faint corona closer to the solar rim than ever before it has been achieved,” it said.