 "Isro's PSLV-C59 to launch Proba-3 mission: Date, time, where to watch")
The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is set to launch the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Proba-3 mission aboard its PSLV-C59 launch vehicle. Facilitated by Isro’s commercial arm, NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), this mission is poised to mark a milestone in space science and technology.
When and where is the Proba-3 mission launch happening?
The Proba-3 mission is scheduled for December 5, 2024, and will launch from the First Launch Pad (FLP) at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
Liftoff is set for 4:12 pm IST. Space enthusiasts can witness the event live either in person or online. Isro has opened registrations for the public to view the launch from its Sriharikota viewing gallery.
For those unable to attend, Isro will provide live streaming of the launch on its official website, YouTube channel, and social media platforms.
What is Proba-3?
The Proba-3 mission, led by ESA, is designed to study the Sun’s corona—the hottest and outermost layer of the Sun’s atmosphere. This mission introduces precision formation flying technology, making it the first of its kind globally.
ESA describes it as a game-changing mission: “A pair of satellites will fly together, maintaining a fixed configuration as a ‘large rigid structure’ in space to prove formation flying technologies and rendezvous experiments.”
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Mission highlights
• Twin spacecraft: Two satellites will operate as a team, meticulously designed and integrated for the mission.
• Solar coronagraph: Together, the satellites will form a coronagraph 150 meters long, providing an unprecedented view of the Sun’s faint corona, even closer to the solar rim.
• Orbit details: The spacecraft will be placed in a highly elliptical orbit ranging from 600 km to 60,000 km from Earth.
Proba-3 mission objectives and scientific significance
The Proba-3 mission blends cutting-edge technology with profound scientific goals:
• Solar observation: Capture detailed and continuous views of the Sun’s faint corona to enhance our understanding of solar activity and its impact on space weather.
• Precision formation flying: Demonstrate the ability of satellites to maintain a precise 150-meter separation while operating as a unified structure.
• Technological breakthroughs: Test advanced metrology sensors, control algorithms, and mission control methodologies.
• Orbital laboratory: Provide a platform to validate rendezvous and proximity operation technologies in space.
As Isro explains on its website: “The two satellites will adopt a fixed configuration in space, 150 meters apart, aligned with the Sun so that the Occulter Spacecraft (OSC) blocks out the solar disk for the Coronagraph Spacecraft (CSC). This alignment enables groundbreaking scientific observations of the corona.”