Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Proba-3 mission is ready for its upcoming launch, scheduled for November 29, by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
Credit : ESA
The dual-satellite mission aims to create an artificial solar eclipse in space, enabling prolonged observation of the Sun’s corona, which has not been possible with previous missions.
Credit : ESA
Proba-3 will involve two satellites flying in precise formation. One satellite will block the Sun’s disk, creating a shadow on the other, which will observe the Sun’s outer atmosphere.
Credit : ESA
The mission successfully completed its final System Validation Test (SVT) in Belgium. During the 12-hour simulation, the spacecraft received commands and transmitted data as it would during its orbital operation.
Credit : ESA
The test focused on the six-hour window around the mission’s apogee in its highly elliptical 19.5-hour orbit. This is the phase where the formation flying and solar corona observations will take place.
Credit : ESA
The Royal Observatory of Belgium sent payload operation requests to ESA’s control center, which transmitted commands to the satellites, proving the readiness of the mission’s operational chain.
Credit : ESA
Proba-3 is highly automated, with its ground and flight systems designed for smooth data transmission and in-flight flexibility, particularly to respond to solar events.
Credit : ESA
With testing complete, the Proba-3 satellites will be shipped to India on October 21 for the launch on November 29 aboard ISRO’s PSLV-XL launcher. The mission is part of ESA’s efforts to push the limits of space technology and solar science.
Credit : ESA