GG News Bureau
Sriharikota, 4th Nov. The countdown for ISRO’s dedicated commercial mission, the Proba-3 spacecraft of the European Space Agency (ESA), is progressing smoothly, with the launch scheduled for later today. This mission marks a significant milestone in India’s space journey and underscores the strength of international collaboration, according to ISRO.
NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), the commercial arm of ISRO, secured the order for this launch from ESA. The mission, referred to as a “technology demonstration,” is a first-of-its-kind attempt in precision formation flying. The primary goal of the mission is to study the Sun’s outer atmosphere and demonstrate advanced space technologies.
A 25-hour countdown began at 3:08 PM on Tuesday, with the launch set for 4:08 PM on Wednesday from the first launch pad at ISRO’s spaceport. The mission will use the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in its 61st flight, the 26th of the XL variant. After around 18 minutes, the PSLV will place the Proba-3 satellites into their desired orbit.
Proba-3 consists of two spacecraft, the ‘Coronagraph’ and the ‘Occulter,’ that will fly together as a single rigid structure. The spacecraft will maintain a formation as precise as one millimetre to block out the Sun’s disk, allowing the Coronagraph to study the Sun’s corona. This scientific observation is crucial, as the Sun’s corona is much hotter than the Sun itself and is where space weather originates, a topic of great interest for both scientific and practical purposes.
The Proba-3 satellites will operate in tandem, 150 metres apart, to conduct rendezvous experiments and demonstrate formation flying technologies. This mission will not only enhance scientific understanding of the Sun’s outer atmosphere but also advance space technology, showcasing ISRO’s capabilities in supporting complex international space missions.
After the scheduled lift-off, the Proba-3 satellites are expected to reach High Earth Orbit, with a 19.7-hour orbital period and an apogee of 60,530 km and perigee of 600 km. The mission is set to reinforce ISRO’s position as a leader in global space exploration and technology development.
Comments are closed.