Proba-3 Mission: India’s new leap in space! ISRO launches Mission Proba-3 to reveal the secrets of the Sun

New Delhi: Indian Space Research Organization ISRO has today launched the European Space Agency’s Proba-3 mission. This mission will study the corona, the outer atmosphere of the Sun. In this mission, two satellites were launched simultaneously. Let us tell you that this launch was done from ISRO’s PSLV-C59 rocket. This is ISRO’s 61st PSLV mission. Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) posted on Twitter that PSLV-C59 has created a new history by flying towards space. This mission is an important step in placing ESA’s state-of-the-art PROBA-3 satellites into space, led by NSIL and supported by ISRO’s leading technology. It is an excellent example of international cooperation and showcases India’s growing space capabilities.

What is Proba-3 mission?

The Proba-3 mission is designed to study the Sun’s corona. The corona is the Sun’s outer atmosphere, which is much hotter than the Sun’s surface. It is also the source of space weather, making it a subject of special interest for scientists. The Proba-3 mission has two satellites: Coronagraph (310 kg) and Occulter (240 kg). Together, these two satellites will perform a unique experiment. The Occult satellite will cover the Sun’s disk, allowing the Coronagraph satellite to clearly observe the Sun’s corona. This technology will help in studying the corona of the Sun. One of the main objectives of the mission is also to perform precise formation flying. Both satellites are placed together, one above the other, in a fixed orbit. Successfully demonstrating this technology will open new avenues for future space missions.

PSLV-C59 rocket used

The PSLV-C59 rocket was used for this launch, which is 44.5 meters high. This was the 61st flight of the PSLV rocket and the 26th mission of the PSLV-XL variant. The PSLV-XL variant is designed to launch heavier satellites. After being launched at 4:04 pm, the Coronagraph and Occulter satellites reached their designated orbit after a journey of 18 minutes. Once in orbit, the two satellites will operate as an integrated satellite system by remaining 150 meters apart.