The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is preparing for the launch of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)-C59 carrying the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Proba-3 mission from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The launch is scheduled for 4:08 PM from the first launch pad.
About PSLV-C59 and Proba-3 Mission
- The PSLV-C59 mission, a collaboration between ISRO and NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), will place a payload of approximately 550 kg into a highly elliptical orbit.
- Proba-3, an ESA-led mission, is the world’s first precision formation-flying mission. It consists of two satellites designed to work together as a single rigid structure in space to demonstrate advanced formation-flying technologies.
Scientific Objectives
- The mission aims to form a 150-meter-long solar coronagraph for studying the Sun’s faint corona, focusing closer to the solar rim than ever before.
- The experiment will measure the achievement of precise positioning between the two spacecraft, using advanced metrology sensors and control algorithms.
- The mission serves as an orbital laboratory for demonstrating rendezvous, proximity operations, and formation flying.
Mission Details
- The mission consists of two spacecraft: the Coronagraph Spacecraft (CSC) and the Occulter Spacecraft (OSC).
- The satellites will be launched in a stacked configuration and positioned 150 meters apart in orbit. The OSC will block the solar disk, allowing the CSC to study the Sun’s faint corona continuously.
ISRO’s Update
ISRO posted on its platform, X:
“Countdown is progressing smoothly as PSLV-C59, an initiative led by NSIL and supported by ISRO’s expertise, prepares to launch ESA’s Proba-3 satellites into a highly elliptical orbit.”
Technical Overview
- The PSLV, ISRO’s reliable launch vehicle, features four stages of propulsion and a total lift-off mass of approximately 320 tonnes.
- The PSLV-C59 will execute multiple ignition and separation stages to place the Proba-3 satellites into orbit.
Proba-3, classified as an In-Orbit Demonstration (IOD) mission, marks a significant step in showcasing precision technologies for future space missions.