Chennai, Nov 20 (UNI) The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is
preparing for the launch of European Space Agency's Proba-3 Satellite using
its reliable workhorse launch vehicle PSLV from the SHAR.Range, Sriharikota
on November 29.
The PSLV-C59 is expected to lift off from the First Launch Pad at the Satish
Dhawan Space Centre.
The preparations for the launch are going underway at Sriharikota, report said.
Proba-3 is a dual probe technological demonstration mission by the European
Space Agency (ESA) devoted to high precision formation flying to achieve scientific
coronagraphy.
It is part of the series of PROBA satellites that are being used to validate new
spacecraft technologies and concepts while also carrying scientific instruments.
Proba-3's innovative approach involves two satellites flying in precise formation, with
one casting a shadow on the other to block out the Sun's disk and the ISRO was
expected to use it PSLV XL version for the launch.
The Proba-3 mission is a collaboration between the ESA and ISRO.
The mission's goals are to use two satellites to study the Sun's corona,
the outermost part of its atmosphere.
The two payloads are Coronagraph spacecraft 340 kg and Occulter
spacecraft 200 kg.
The satellites will fly in formation to create a solar coronagraph that will
allow for uninterrupted observation of the Sun's corona.
The Proba-3 mission will be the first precision formation flying mission,
demonstrating the ability of satellites to fly together in formation to achieve
precise positioning.
The Proba-3 mission will be a major scientific experiment that will help improve
understanding of the Sun and solar weather.
The Proba-3 satellites will reach a high elliptical orbit that is 60,000 kms from
Earth. The satellites will fly autonomously to maintain a precise position, with
an accuracy of a single millimeter.
In its website, ESA said Proba-3 is ESA’s – and the world’s – first precision
formation flying mission.
A pair of satellites will fly together maintaining a fixed configuration as a ‘large
rigid structure’ in space to prove formation flying technologies and rendezvous
experiments.
The mission will demonstrate formation flying in the context of a large-scale
science experiment.
The two satellites will together form an approximately 150-m long solar coronagraph
to study the Sun’s faint corona closer to the solar rim than has ever before been
achieved.
Beside its scientific interest, the experiment will be a perfect instrument to measure
the achievement of the precise positioning of the two spacecraft.
It will be enabled using a wide variety of new technologies.
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