India’s space agency ISRO is all set to launch the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Proba-3 mission on December 4, marking another milestone in its growing reputation for cost-effective and reliable space missions.
This mission aims to unravel mysteries surrounding the Sun’s corona, the scorching outer layer of its atmosphere, by creating artificial eclipses. It’s a big moment for ISRO, as it showcases its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) as a competitive alternative to ESA’s own heavy-duty rockets.
ESA revealed that the choice of PSLV was strategic — it offers the perfect balance of capability and cost for the Proba-3 mission, which involves a payload of 550 kg. The mission is a joint effort featuring contributions from scientists across Europe, including Spain, Belgium, Poland, Italy, and Switzerland.
The Proba-3 mission will introduce a game-changing concept of “precision formation flying” in space. Two satellites that are part of the payload, the Occulter and the Coronagraph, will maintain a strict 150-metre formation to block the Sun’s blinding light and provide a clear view of the corona. This manoeuvre will help scientists study the solar atmosphere closer to the Sun’s surface than ever before.
Proba-3 builds on the legacy of ESA’s earlier solar missions, the Proba-1 and the Proba-2, which were also launched using ISRO’s launch vehicles. With the Proba-3 mission, ESA plans to refine the understanding of space weather and the solar wind, and understand the several phenomena that have a direct impact on Earth’s environment.
The Proba-3 mission, with an estimated cost of 200 million Euros, is set to last two years. During this time, researchers expect to generate about 50 artificial eclipses each year, each of which should last about six hours. The first batch of results from the mission are expected by March after the satellites complete their commissioning phase.
The payload includes several cutting-edge instruments, such as ASPIICS, which will study why the solar corona is significantly hotter than the Sun’s surface. The mission is also expected to shed light on Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), helping scientists understand the dynamics and heating processes near the Sun.
ESA revealed that the Proba-3 mission has been under development for over a decade, highlighting the complexity and ambition of the project. By creating artificial eclipses, the mission offers researchers a rare opportunity to study the Sun’s corona in extraordinary detail.
As ISRO prepares for this landmark launch, it’s another feather in the cap for Indian space exploration, blending innovation with international collaboration to unlock the Sun’s most elusive secrets.
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ISRO set to launch ESA’s Proba-3 solar observatory satellite on Dec 4 to study the Sun’s corona
