ISRO Launches ESA's Proba-3 Satellites to Create Artificial Eclipses and Study Sun's Corona

Dec 5, 2024, 02:25 AM

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the European Space Agency's (ESA) Proba-3 mission on December 5, 2024, at 16:04 IST from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The mission, carried out by ISRO's trusted Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C59) in its PSLV-XL configuration, aims to study the Sun's corona by creating artificial eclipses using precision formation flying of two satellites separated by 150 meters. The Proba-3 satellites were placed into a highly elliptical orbit with a perigee of nearly 600 km and an apogee of 60,000 km. This launch marks the first ESA satellite launched by ISRO in 23 years, highlighting advanced space technologies enabled by international collaboration between ISRO, NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), and ESA. The launch, originally scheduled for December 4, was postponed due to a technical issue detected in the spacecraft, which was resolved before the successful liftoff. The mission represents a commercial venture valued at approximately $30 million.