The European Space Agency (ESA) is preparing to launch the Proba-3 mission , an initiative that will allow the study of the Sun through an artificial solar eclipse in space . This project, led by the Spanish company SENER, has brought together more than 40 companies from 16 countries, providing a significant investment in space technology and with the support of the Spanish Ministry of Science.
The launch, scheduled for December 4 from India’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre, will use an ISRO PSLV rocket to place two spacecraft into an elliptical orbit.
An artificial solar eclipse to study the sun up close
The spacecraft, named Occulter and Coronagraph , will fly in formation at a distance of up to 60,000 km from Earth. Occulter will block out sunlight, allowing Coronagraph to capture detailed images of the solar corona, the outermost and least understood region of the Sun.
This mission, which was developed over a decade in Europe, has an orbital precision of one millimetre to maintain its stable formation during the planned 1,500 hours of observation. This technical milestone is possible thanks to the joint work of companies from fourteen ESA Member States, led by SENER and Airbus Defence and Space in Spain.
The ships will be launched on December 4 from India. Source: ESA
The contribution of the Proba-3 mission
In addition to capturing images of the solar corona, the mission will investigate the origin of coronal mass ejections, large emissions of solar particles that affect communication systems on Earth.
The Royal Observatory of Belgium and the Davos Physical and Meteorological Observatory in Switzerland will contribute the scientific instruments ASPIRICS and DARA, providing precise data on the solar magnetic field and its emitted energy.
Proba-3 will be controlled and monitored by the European Space Safety and Education Centre in Belgium, marking a significant step in Europe’s ability to lead advanced space research . The data generated on this mission will be key to future research into solar activity and its impact on Earth.
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Source and photos: ESA
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