ISRO to Launch ESA's Proba-3 Mission for Solar Corona Study
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Mission Name | Proba-3 |
| Agency | European Space Agency (ESA) in collaboration with ISRO |
| Launch Date | December 4, 2024 |
| Launch Vehicle | PSLV-XL |
| Launch Site | Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, India |
| Mission Objective | Study the Sun's corona using artificial solar eclipse through two satellites |
| Satellites | Occulter Spacecraft (200 kg), Coronagraph Spacecraft (340 kg) |
| Orbit | Highly elliptical orbit (600 x 60,530 km) with a 19.7-hour orbital period |
| Separation Distance | 150 meters between satellites |
| Observation Time | Up to six hours of continuous solar corona observation |
| Instruments | ASPIICS (Coronagraph), DARA (Solar Radiometer), 3DEES (Electron Spectrometer) |
| Mission Life | Two years |
| Collaborating Countries | Spain, Belgium, Poland, Italy, Switzerland, and India |
| Previous ESA Missions | Proba-1 (2001), Proba-2 (2009) |
| Benefits to India | Exclusive access to mission data, collaboration with ESA on solar research |