Proba-3, the European Space Agency’s upcoming mission, is set to launch in 2024 with India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). The spacecraft, consisting of the Coronagraph and Occulter, will fly in formation to study the Sun’s faint corona closer to the solar rim than has ever been achieved. Proba-3 will serve as an orbital laboratory for innovative mission control, demonstrating acquisition, proximity, operation, formation flying, and separation, showcasing innovative meteorology sensors and control algorithms. Before launch, the spacecraft will undergo a four-month environmental test campaign in Germany. PSLV has been used to launch various satellites into Geosynchronous and Geostationary orbits, earning it the nickname “the workhorse.”
India’s PSLV to Launch Europe’s Proba-3 Mission to Study the Sun’s Corona
The European Space Agency’s Proba-3 mission will be launched by India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in 2024. The two spacecraft, the Coronagraph and Occulter, will maintain a formation with a few millimeters and arc second precision, making it a world-first.
The spacecraft will fly into space on PSLV, a third-generation launch vehicle of the Indian Space Research Organisation, and will be deployed into a highly elliptical orbit of 600 x 60530 km with an orbital period of 19.7 hours. After a short preparatory period, the two satellites will be separated and injected into a safe relative tandem orbit.
The primary objective of the mission is to study the Sun’s faint corona closer to the solar rim than has ever before been achieved. The two satellites will fly in formation to form an external coronagraph in space, with one satellite eclipsing the Sun to allow the second to study the otherwise invisible solar corona continuously. The Coronagraph spacecraft and the Occulter spacecraft are equipped with instruments and sensors that enable them to maneuver with millimeter-scale precision relative to each other.
The Sun is a million times brighter than its surrounding corona, and eclipsing it is crucial for coronal studies. Although this occurs during a solar eclipse by Earth’s Moon, it only lasts for a few minutes, and it is sporadic. By contrast, Proba-3 will provide continuous views of the Sun’s faint corona for scientific observation.
In addition to this mission, PSLV has been used to launch various satellites into Geosynchronous and Geostationary orbits, earning it the nickname “the workhorse.” The 340-kilogram spacecraft designed for the Proba-3 mission will be subjected to a simulated space environment in the testing phase before launch, with engineers aiming to demonstrate precision formation flying in space.
Proba-3: An Orbital Laboratory for Innovative Mission Control
Proba-3, the European Space Agency’s upcoming mission, is set to function as an orbital laboratory, showcasing innovative meteorology sensors and control algorithms. ESA said the spacecraft would demonstrate acquisition, proximity, operation, formation flying, and separation from 25 meters to 250 meters apart. Proba-3 will now undergo a four-month environmental test campaign at IABG in Germany, where it will be subjected to simulated launch and space environments.
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