The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the PSLV-C59 mission on Thursday, carrying the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Proba-3 satellites. The launch took place at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. Proba-3 is an advanced solar observation mission designed to study the Sun’s corona, the outermost layer of its atmosphere, which is hotter than the Sun itself and plays a crucial role in space weather dynamics.
Initially scheduled for Wednesday, the launch was delayed by a day due to technical issues. NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), ISRO’s commercial arm, secured the contract for this mission. Proba-3 consists of two satellites, Coronagraph (310 kg) and Occulter (240 kg), that will operate in precise formation with millimetre accuracy. The mission will study the Sun’s corona by blocking its solar disk with the Occulter, enabling detailed observations by the Coronagraph.
The PSLV-C59, ISRO’s reliable workhorse, undertook its 61st flight and 26th deployment of the PSLV-XL variant, completing the satellite deployment in just 18 minutes after liftoff at 4:04 pm. The mission will orbit Earth in 19-hour cycles, with the satellites maintaining a 150-metre separation during operation to capture crucial data for solar research.
Proba-3 is funded under the General Support Technology Programme and serves as a technology demonstration mission to showcase precision formation flying. This mission builds on ISRO’s success with Aditya-L1, its first solar mission, launched in September 2023, cementing India’s role in advanced space and solar studies.
