The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is gearing up to launch the European Space Agency’s (ESA) ambitious Proba-3 mission from the Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday, December 4. The mission is scheduled to lift off at 4:08 PM IST aboard ISRO’s trusted Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). This marks yet another significant collaboration between ISRO and its commercial arm, NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), demonstrating the growing synergy between international space agencies.
Proba-3 will take off from the first launch pad at Sriharikota, deploying two advanced satellites into a high Earth orbit. These satellites are designed to work in tandem to study solar phenomena and space weather, providing ESA scientists with critical data to deepen their understanding of the Sun’s corona and its influence on Earth’s environment.
This mission highlights the importance of global partnerships in tackling complex challenges in space science and technology. It represents a significant milestone in solar research, utilizing precision engineering to create an unprecedented observational platform for studying solar activity.
Key Highlights of the Proba-3 Mission:
- PSLV’s Versatility: ISRO’s PSLV, one of the most reliable workhorses in space exploration, will be used to launch Proba-3. This will be the PSLV’s 61st mission and its 26th deployment in the PSLV-XL variant configuration.
- High Earth Orbit Deployment: The 44.5-meter-tall PSLV rocket will place the Proba-3 satellites into a highly elliptical orbit. The satellites will achieve a perigee (closest point to Earth) of 600 km and an apogee (farthest point) of 60,530 km, completing an orbital period of 19.7 hours.
- Innovative Satellite Pair: The mission comprises two spacecraft—the Coronagraph (310 kg) and the Occulter (240 kg)—which will fly in precise formation, separated by just 150 meters. This precision enables them to create artificial solar eclipses, giving scientists uninterrupted access to study the Sun’s faint corona.
- Revolutionary Solar Monitoring: By simulating “solar eclipses on demand,” the mission allows the study of the Sun’s outer atmosphere with a level of detail previously possible only during natural eclipses.
- Formation Flying Technology: Proba-3 serves as a testbed for cutting-edge formation-flying techniques, which are crucial for future space exploration, including missions involving telescopes and deep-space probes.
- Space Weather Research: The mission is poised to enhance our understanding of space weather phenomena, which have far-reaching impacts on satellite communications, GPS systems, power grids, and other critical technologies on Earth.
- Historical Collaboration: This is the first satellite collaboration between ISRO and ESA since the launches of Proba-1 in 2001 and Proba-2 in 2009, highlighting the agencies’ long-standing partnership.
- Precision Deployment: After approximately 18 minutes post-launch, the PSLV will deploy the satellites into their designated orbit with high accuracy, setting the stage for the mission’s operational phase.
- Scientific Contributions: The mission will provide unique insights into the weak corona of the Sun, unraveling its mysteries and contributing to our understanding of solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and other phenomena that influence space weather.
- Technology Demonstration: Beyond solar research, Proba-3’s demonstration of formation-flying technology opens avenues for innovations in Earth observation, asteroid exploration, and future interplanetary missions.
Broader Implications:
The Proba-3 mission underscores ISRO’s growing stature as a global space leader, capable of executing complex international collaborations. The data generated from this mission will be instrumental in improving predictive models of space weather, safeguarding critical infrastructure on Earth, and enhancing our understanding of solar dynamics.
Additionally, this mission serves as a stepping stone for future projects involving multi-satellite constellations, fostering new possibilities in scientific research and space exploration. Proba-3 is not just a scientific endeavor but also a demonstration of ISRO’s technical prowess and commitment to advancing global space collaboration.