ISRO Is Preparing For The Late 2024 Launch Of ESA's Proba-3 Mission To Study The Sun

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The Proba-3 mission, designed by the European Space Agency (ESA) to study the Sun, is scheduled to be launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) later this year. The PSLV-XL rocket built by ISRO will be launched in September from Sriharikota. Proba-3, also known as PRoject for On-Board Autonomy, is a mission that entails sending two probes into an extremely elliptical orbit that measures 600 by 60,530 kilometres.

This mission is significant for Europe, as it currently lacks a launch provider following the retirement of Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket and delays in the introduction of the new Ariane 6.

The primary objective of the Proba-3 mission is to study the Sun's corona, its outer atmosphere, by creating an artificial solar eclipse. This will be achieved through the alignment of two probes positioned approximately 150 meters apart. One probe, known as the Coronagraph spacecraft, will block the Sun, while the other, called the Occulter, will observe the resulting eclipse.

ESA states that this mission will enable scientists to study the Sun's faint corona closer to the solar rim than ever before. The corona has intrigued astronomers due to its peculiar properties, such as heating up to a million degrees more than the Sun's surface, the reason for which remains unknown.

Once deployed into orbit, the Proba-3 satellites will create eclipses lasting six hours each, providing ample time for scientific observations. The mission is anticipated to continue for a minimum of two years.

In summary, the Proba-3 mission represents a collaborative effort between ISRO and ESA to explore the mysteries of the Sun's corona through innovative technological means. By creating artificial eclipses and conducting close-range observations, scientists aim to unravel the enigmatic nature of the Sun's outer atmosphere and potentially uncover clues to its extraordinary heating phenomenon.