In a significant achievement for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the Proba-3 spacecraft was successfully launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, on Thursday. The spacecraft, which was launched at 4:04 PM, carries a 550 kg payload and marks a major milestone in ISRO’s space exploration journey.
The launch had initially been delayed on December 4 due to an anomaly in the propulsion system, but the mission resumed successfully after all issues were resolved. Proba-3, built in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), is designed to study the Sun’s outer atmosphere, also known as the Corona, which plays a crucial role in determining space weather.
Proba-3’s mission stands out due to its unique precision formation flying capability. The spacecraft consists of two satellites—the Coronagraph and the Occulter—that will travel in tandem, positioned 150 meters apart. The Occulter will block the center of the Sun, creating an eclipse-like phenomenon, enabling the Coronagraph to observe the Sun’s Corona and collect important data for heliophysics research.
The PSLV-C59 rocket, carrying Proba-3, successfully reached its orbit, with the spacecraft placed in a highly elliptical orbit—600 km at its closest point to Earth (perigee) and 60,000 km at its farthest point (apogee). The successful placement of the spacecraft in orbit was confirmed after systems were checked and cleared across all four control rooms monitoring the flight.
ISRO Chairman S. Somnath praised the efforts of the teams involved, acknowledging the crucial collaboration between ISRO and ESA. After the launch, he addressed members of both organizations, stating, “The PSLV-C59 Proba-3 launch has been accomplished, and the spacecraft has been placed in the right orbit.”
This successful launch not only contributes to India’s growing space capabilities but also marks an important advancement in the study of heliophysics, providing valuable data for scientists to better understand solar activity and its impact on space weather.
Proba, short for “Project for Onboard Anatomy,” aptly reflects the ambition of the mission, with “Proba” also meaning “let’s try” in Latin—a fitting name for this novel collaboration between ISRO and the European Space Agency.
Sources By Agencies
