Reporters in New Delhi have announced that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched a satellite as part of the Proba-3 mission from the European Space Agency (ESA) on December 5.
The launch took place at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on Sriharikota Island, located in Andhra Pradesh, India.
Proba-3 consists of two satellites: Coronagraph (310kg) and Occulter (240kg). (Source: NASA).
Previously, on December 4, just before takeoff, ISRO had to postpone the launch at the request of ESA due to an anomaly detected in the satellite’s propulsion system. The mission was launched using the PSLV-C59 rocket, which has a total payload capacity of approximately 320 tons.
This rocket is India’s first launch vehicle to utilize liquid fuel stages, having been in use since 1994 to send satellites and various payloads into space.
The rocket will place the satellites of the Proba-3 mission into an elliptical orbit, reaching a maximum altitude of 60,000 km before descending to just 600 km above the Earth.
This unique orbit allows the two satellites to operate and fly in formation in space for six hours, thereby reducing the effects of gravitational pull and saving fuel for position adjustments.
Proba-3 consists of two satellites: Coronagraph (310kg) and Occulter (240kg). These two spacecraft will fly in parallel, maintaining an exact formation to study the solar corona, the outer atmosphere of the Sun.
According to ESA, the solar corona is much hotter than the surface of the Sun and is the source of solar storms—a field of research that holds significant scientific and practical importance.
| Proba-3 is an international mission involving contributions from 14 countries, with Belgium being the largest financial contributor. Numerous Belgian companies and scientists are also participating in the mission. Scientists hope that Proba-3 will succeed and mark a critical turning point in the exploration and enhancement of our understanding of the universe. |
