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ISRO's Proba-3 successfully lifts-off from Sriharikota launch pad, reaches orbit
The Proba-3 built in collaboration with the European Space Agency, will be observing the Corona - the Sun's outer atmosphere which determines space weather
The Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Proba-3 spacecraft was on Thursday successfully been launched from the first launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh,.
The rocket, carrying a payload of 550 kg, launched at 4:04 pm, after initially being delayed due to an anomaly in the propulsion system on December 4.
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The Proba-3 will be the first spacecraft to conduct precision formation during flight, down to a millimetre. The two satellites in the rocket, the Coronagraph and the Occulter, will travel in tandem 150 metres apart from each other.
The Occulter will create an eclipse-like phenomena, in which it will block the sun's centre so the Coronagraph can dispatch the necessary instruments and observe the outer rim of the Sun known as Corona - which determines space weather.
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The PSLV-C59 managed to achieve orbit after all systems were cleared and all operations were declared normal across all four control rooms monitoring the course of its flight.
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The endeavour will not only contribute to India's growing space evolution but will also be a step ahead in the study of heliophysics for scientists.
ISRO chairman S Somnath, addressed members of the ESA and ISRO who were part of the teams working on the rocket, after the launch and stated, “The PSLV-C59 Proba-3 launch has been accomplished. The spacecraft has been placed in the right orbit, a highly elliptical orbit of around 600 km at perigee (closest point to earth) and 60,000 km apogee (the farthest point from earth).”
He also congratulated the PSLV and Proba teams and wished them luck on achieving their mission goals.
Proba, which refers to the ‘Project for Onboard Anatomy’, also means “lets try” in Latin, a fitting term for the novel collaboration between ISRO and the European Space Agency.
