Why in the News?

ISRO has rescheduled the launch of ESA’s PROBA-3 spacecraft due to a satellite anomaly. The launch will now take place at 4:12 PM on 5th December 2024 aboard PSLV-C59 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, after being postponed from its original 4:08 PM schedule yesterday.

About PROBA-3 Mission

• Mission Goal: Proba-3 is an In-Orbit Demonstration (IOD) mission by the European Space Agency (ESA).
• Objective: To demonstrate precise formation flying in space.
• Components: Coronagraph Spacecraft (CSC) and Occulter Spacecraft (OSC) will fly together in a stacked configuration.

Mission Features

• Precision Formation-Flying: Proba-3 will be the world’s first precision formation-flying mission.
  • Satellites’ Configuration: The two satellites will maintain a fixed formation 150 meters apart while lined up with the Sun.
  • Oscillation Blockage: The OSC will block the solar disk, allowing the CSC to observe the Sun's faint corona (outer atmosphere) continuously.
• Technology Demonstration: The mission will act as an orbital laboratory to demonstrate:
  • Rendezvous and proximity operations.
  • Formation flying technologies.
  • Innovative metrology sensors and control algorithms for mission control.
• Scientific Observation: The mission aims to provide continuous views of the Sun’s corona, contributing valuable scientific data on solar observations.

Spacecraft of PROBA-3 Mission