ISRO launches Europe's Proba-3 mission to study Sun's outermost layer
What's the story
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched the European Space Agency's (ESA) Proba-3 mission today.
The liftoff occured from ISRO's spaceport in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, at 4:04pm IST.
This marks a significant collaboration between ISRO and its commercial arm, NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), with ESA.
The mission will help us better understand solar phenomena and space weather patterns.
International collaboration
Proba-3 mission: A multinational endeavor
The Proba-3 mission is a joint effort of scientists from multiple European nations, including Spain, Belgium, Poland, Italy, and Switzerland.
The mission has a budget of €200 million and will run for two years.
It uses two main components: the 200kg Occulter spacecraft and the 340kg Coronagraph spacecraft.
The two satellites will work together to create a solar coronagraph for detailed observations.
Solar exploration
Mission's goal is to study the Sun's corona
The main goal of the Proba-3 mission is to study the Sun's corona, a layer notorious for its scorching temperatures of up to 2 million degrees Fahrenheit.
The layer is critical for space weather events such as solar storms and winds that can interfere with satellite communications, navigation systems, and power grids on Earth.
The mission will offer "solar eclipses on demand," giving scientists constant access to study this elusive part of the Sun.
Technological feat
Proba-3 mission to demonstrate precision formation flying technology
The Proba-3 mission also seeks to demonstrate precision formation flying technology, a key element for future space exploration missions.
By acting as a "large rigid structure," the Proba-3 spacecraft will allow precise observations of the Sun's corona.
This novel technique is expected to yield unprecedented information about the Sun's outer atmosphere and enhance our understanding of space weather events that can impact Earth-based systems.