European Space Agency

Proba-3 mission would help in understanding Sun's Corona: Ex-Isro scientist

ISRO's successful launch of European Space Agency's (ESA) Proba-3 satellites onboard PSLV-C59 rocket is a 'groundbreaking mission' and would significantly advance the understanding of Sun's corona and solar wind, a former ISRO scientist said. According to P V Venkitakrishnan, former director of Capacity Building Programme Office, ISRO headquarters, the 'innovative design and advanced technologies' used in the mission would pave the way for future space weather forecasting and solar physics research. "This mission is a collaborative effort between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation. Proba-3 is a pioneering mission designed to explore the Sun's corona, the outer atmosphere of the Sun", he told PTI. It aims to study the Corona, which is hotter than the Sun's surface, and explore the solar wind which is a stream of charged particles emanating from the Sun, Venkitakrishnan said. "The data from Proba-3 satellites would help scientists better ...

Watch: Isro launches Proba-3 mission satellites from Sriharikota

Isro's PSLV rocket carrying ESA's Proba-3 lifts off from Sriharikota

ISRO's trusted workhorse PSLV rocket carrying two satellites of the European Space Agency (ESA), lifted off from the spaceport here on Thursday. The launch was rescheduled to 4:04 pm today and a revised countdown was set after sorting out an anomaly detected in the propulsion system of one of the satellites on Wednesday, minutes before the launch. As the countdown concluded, the PSLV C-59 blasted off to place Proba-3 spacecraft in the desired orbit. In a social media post after the lift off, the Bengaluru-based space agency said, "Lift off achieved. PSLV-C59 has successfully soared into the skies, marking the commencement of a global mission led by NSIL, with ISRO's technical expertise, to deploy ESA's groundbreaking PROBA-3 satellites. A proud moment celebrating the synergy of international collaboration and India's space achievements." Proba-3 (Project for Onboard Anatomy) consists of two satellites in which two spacecraft would fly together as one, maintaining precise formation

Isro successfully launches Europe's Proba-3 mission for solar exploration

Originally scheduled for December 4 at 4:08 pm, the Proba-3 launch had to be rescheduled due to an anomaly detected in the satellite's propulsion system

Isro reschedules Proba-3 mission launch to December 5. Here's why

Proba-3 is a joint mission to study the Sun's corona, the outermost layer of its atmosphere, which is vital for understanding solar activity and space weather

Isro's PSLV-C59 to launch Proba-3 mission: Date, time, where to watch

Isro's PSLV-C59 will launch ESA's Proba-3 mission on December 4, 2024. Find out the launch time, location, and how to watch it live

Isro to launch ESA's Proba-3 mission satellites from Sriharikota today

The countdown for ISRO's dedicated commercial mission--Proba-3 spacecraft of the European Space Agency (ESA) marking a 'proud milestone in India's space journey' is progressing for the launch scheduled later on Wednesday, the space agency said. NewSpace India Ltd, the commercial arm of ISRO which would launch client vehicles, has secured the order from ESA for its latest launch, which would be a 'technology demonstration' mission. The significant objective of the mission is the first-of-its-kind formation flying in precision and to study the Sun's outer atmosphere. "Liftoff Day is Here. PSLV-C59, showcasing the proven expertise of ISRO, is ready to deliver ESA's PROBA-3 satellites into orbit. This mission, powered by NSIL with ISRO's engineering excellence, reflects the strength of international collaboration," ISRO said on Wednesday. An ISRO official said that the 25 hour countdown that started at 3.08 pm on Tuesday is progressing for the launch scheduled from the first launch pad

Countdown begins for Isro's commercial mission for European Space Agency

The countdown for ISRO's dedicated commercial mission, the launch of Proba-3 spacecraft of the European Space Agency (ESA) slated for December 4. began here on Tuesday. Wednesday's launch would be a technology demonstration mission. NewSpace India Ltd is the commercial arm of ISRO which would launch client vehicles and has secured the order from the European Space Agency for its latest mission. "The 25-hour countdown started at 3.08 pm on Tuesday and right now the preparatory works (for the launch) are going on," an ISRO official told PTI on Tuesday. Dubbed as the world's first initiative, the Proba-3 (Project for Onboard Autonomy) consists of a double-satellite in which two spacecraft would fly together as one, maintaining precise formation down to a single millimetre to study the sun's outer atmosphere. 'Probas' is a Latin word, which refers to 'Let's try'. The mission objective is to demonstrate precise formation flying and the two spacecraft - 'Coronagraph' and 'Occulter' would

US sounds alarm; says China's military expansion in space is mind-boggling

Head of the US Space Force underscored the escalating dangers from both China and Russia in the space domain

Webb Space Telescope's cosmic shot shows pair of intertwined galaxies

The Webb Space Telescope has captured a pair of intertwined galaxies glowing in the infrared. The observatory operated by NASA and the European Space Agency photographed the two galaxies 326 million light-years away, surrounded by a blue haze of stars and gas. A light-year is 5.8 trillion miles. The pictures, released Friday, marks the second anniversary of Webb's science operations. The neighbouring galaxies, nicknamed Penguin and the Egg, have been tangled up for tens of millions of years, according to NASA. They'll eventually merge into a single galaxy. The same interaction will happen to our own Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy in 4 billion years, the space agency said. Considered the successor to the aging Hubble Space Telescope, Webb is the biggest and most powerful astronomical observatory ever launched. It rocketed away in 2021 and underwent six months of commissioning, before its first official images were released in July 2022. It's positioned 1 million miles (1.6 mill

Mysterious blue meteor lights up skies in Spain, Portugal; watch video here

A mysterious blue meteor lit up the skies across parts of Spain and Portugal. Several X users shared videos of the meteor streaking through the night sky

Indian Space Conclave 2023: Global leaders to unite for the Future of Space

The three-day event is planned to start the Indo-French Space Summit, coordinated in association with the French embassy and to be attended by astronaut Thomas Pesquet from the European Space Agency

Jupiter-sized objects in Orion Nebula captured by James Webb Telescope

The new entities have been called Jupiter Mass Binary Objects, or JuMBOs

Japan launches X-ray satellite, Moon Sniper lunar lander. Details here

Japan's Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) is taking a uniquely long route to the Moon and is scheduled to make a landing in four to six months

Aditya L-1 launch: Here's how Europe is assisting ISRO's solar mission

With the highly-anticipated Aditya-L1 solar mission taking flight on Saturday, the European Space Agency (ESA) is lending a crucial hand in two significant ways: by offering deep space communication services and aiding ISRO in validating critical new flight dynamics software. Communication is an essential part of every space mission. Without ground station support, it is impossible to get any science data from a spacecraft, to know how it is doing, to know if it is safe or even to know where it is, ESA said. ESA's global network of deep space tracking stations and use of internationally recognised technical standards allows us to help our partners track, command, and receive data from their spacecraft almost anywhere in the solar system, said Ramesh Chellathurai, ESA Service Manager and ESA Cross-Support Liaison Officer for ISRO. For the Aditya-L1 mission, we are providing support from all three of our 35-metre deep space antennas in Australia, Spain, and Argentina, as well as suppo

SpaceX launches latest crew to space station after fixing valve issue

SpaceX also opted to replace some of the valves on multiple Dragon spacecraft - including some of the valves on Crew-7's Dragon

Chandrayaan-3: European Space Agency tracking lander module, says official

Besides the scientists at the ISRO, officials at the European Space Agency are also involved in tracking the lander module of the Chandrayaan-3 mission which is just hours away from making a soft landing on the surface of the Moon, a senior scientist said on Wednesday. European Space Agency Service Manager and Liaison Officer to ISRO Ramesh Chellathurai said the ESA has been providing support to the Chandrayaan-3 mission since the pandemic. Introducing himself in a brief video, Chellathurai said, "I work for the European Space Agency at the European Space Operations Centre, in Darmstadt Germany. "Within the European Space Operations Centre, I work for the Deep Space and External Services Section wherein we provide support for ESA's deep space missions and external agencies," he said in the video shared in a social media post. He said ESA was providing support to the Chandrayaan-3 mission from three of its ground stations located in Kourou (French Guiana), Goonhilly (United Kingdom)

British-made spacecraft 'Aeolus' expected to fall back on Earth today

Although Aeolus completed its mission successfully, it lacked the capabilities required for a controlled re-entry into Earth's atmosphere

European spacecraft rockets on quest to explore Jupiter, its icy moons

A European spacecraft rocketed away Friday on a decadelong quest to explore Jupiter and three of its icy moons that could have buried oceans. The journey began with a morning liftoff by Europe's Ariane rocket from French Guiana in South America. It will take the robotic explorer, dubbed Juice, eight years to reach Jupiter, where it will scope out not only the solar system's biggest planet but also Europa, Callisto and Ganymede. The three ice-encrusted moons are believed to harbour underground oceans, where sea life could exist. Then in perhaps the most impressive feat of all, Juice will attempt to go into orbit around Ganymede: No spacecraft has ever orbited a moon other than our own. With so many moons, at last count 95 astronomers consider Jupiter a mini solar system of its own, with missions like Juice long overdue. We are not going to detect life with Juice, stressed the European Space Agency's project scientist, Olivier Witasse. But learning more about the moons and their

Euro-Russia Mars mission was suspended due to Ukraine: What to expect next?

The Rosalind Franklin rover is unique among all the rovers planned for Mars as it can drill deeper than any before it - up to 2 metres below the harsh surface