ISRO-ESA collaboration set to bring Proba-3 solar mission to life: India’s role to lift off PSLV launcher

The European Space Agency’s (ESA) groundbreaking Proba-3 mission is set to launch from India’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre on 4 December. The mission, aimed at exploring the Sun’s corona through precise formation flying, will take off aboard a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-XL), a trusted machine of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

The liftoff is scheduled for 11:38 CET (10:38 GMT, 16:08 IST), with live coverage available on ISRO’s YouTube channel and ESA’s Web TV.

As per the ESA, this collaboration marks a significant milestone, as it is the first time ESA has partnered with ISRO for a satellite launch since the Proba-1 Earth observation mission in 2001. By leveraging ISRO’s cost-effective yet reliable PSLV platform, Proba-3 will achieve its highly elliptical orbit, extending over 60,000 kilometres from Earth.

Proba-3 is a unique mission comprising two spacecraft designed to operate in precise formation flying, separated by just 150 metres in orbit. One spacecraft, the ‘Occulter’, will block out the Sun’s fiery disc, creating an artificial solar eclipse. The other, the ‘Coronagraph’, will capture detailed observations of the Sun’s corona, a faint outer layer of the star visible only during total solar eclipses. This innovative setup will allow scientists to study the corona more extensively than ever before, providing continuous eclipse-like conditions for six hours during each 19-hour orbit.

India’s role in enabling this ambitious ESA mission highlights its growing reputation as a global spacefaring nation. According to ESA, the PSLV-XL’s proven track record for delivering payloads accurately into orbit made it a preferred choice for Proba-3, particularly for its capability to achieve the elongated orbit needed for this mission. The cost-effectiveness of the PSLV-XL further aligned with the tight budget of this technology demonstration project.

For ESA, Proba-3 is not just about solar science but also a major step in demonstrating precision formation flying in space. The mission aims to refine techniques for future satellite constellations and large-scale spacecraft operations, showcasing the possibility of creating virtual spacecraft by coordinating multiple smaller units.

This international collaboration underscores ISRO’s role as a reliable partner for advanced missions. The Proba-3 mission exemplifies how Indian space technology is enabling cutting-edge scientific research and advancing India’s standing in the global space community.