ISRO’s PSLV-C59 rocket, carrying European Space Agency’s Proba-3 mission, successfully lifted off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh on Thursday.
The PSLV-C59/PROBA-3 Mission has successfully achieved its launch objectives, deploying ESA’s satellites into their designated orbit with precision, ISRO proudly announced on ‘X’.
? Celebrating Success!
The PSLV-C59/PROBA-3 Mission reflects the dedication of NSIL, ISRO and ESA teams. This achievement highlights India’s critical role in enabling global space innovation.
? Together, we continue building bridges in international space collaboration! ?✨…
— ISRO (@isro) December 5, 2024
According to ESA, Proba-3 lifted off on a four-stage PSLV-XL rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, on Thursday, 5 December, at 11:34 CET (10:34 GMT, 16:04 local time). Stacked together, the two satellites separated from their upper stage about 18 minutes after launch.
Proba-3 successfully lifted off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre on @isro‘s PSLV-XL on 5 December 2024.
The double-satellite is the most ambitious member yet of our Proba family of experimental missions. Two spacecraft will fly together as one, maintaining precise formation down… pic.twitter.com/WKwFdyQ6CK
— European Space Agency (@esa) December 5, 2024
The pair will remain attached together while initial commissioning takes place, overseen by mission control at the European Space Security and Education Centre, ESEC, in Redu, Belgium.
ESA’s twin Proba-3 platforms will perform precise formation flying down to a single millimetre, as if they were one single giant spacecraft.
To demonstrate their degree of control, the pair will produce artificial solar eclipses in orbit, giving prolonged views of the Sun’s ghostly surrounding atmosphere, corona, the source of the solar wind and space weather.
