Why in news
The PSLV-C59/PROBA-3 mission was rescheduled from Wednesday to Thursday due to a detected anomaly.
The issue occurred with the propulsion system of the PROBA-3 spacecraft.
European Space Agency (ESA) officials confirmed that the anomaly is under detailed investigation, and a software solution is being evaluated to address it.
Proba-3 Mission
It is the European Space Agency's (ESA) first mission dedicated to precision formation flying.
Proba-3 is an In-Orbit Demonstration (IOD) mission of the ESA
It is the innovative mission which will demonstrate precision formation flying between two satellites to create an artificial eclipse, revealing new views of the Sun’s faint corona.
It consists of two small satellites — a Coronagraph spacecraft and a solar-disc-shaped Occulter spacecraft.
PSLV-C59 vehicle will carry Proba-3 spacecraft into a highly elliptical orbit as a Dedicated commercial mission of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL).
Launch is planned from First Launch Pad (FLP), Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR), Sriharikota.
Working
By flying in tight formation about 150 metres apart, the Occulter will precisely cast its shadow onto the Coronagraph’s telescope, blocking the Sun’s direct light.
This will allow the Coronagraph to image the faint solar corona in visible, ultraviolet and polarised light for many hours at a time.
It will provide new insights into the origins of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) — eruptions of solar material that can disrupt satellites and power grids on Earth.
The mission will also measure total solar irradiance, tracking changes in the Sun’s energy output that may influence Earth’s climate.
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