The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is gearing up to launch the European Space Agency's (ESA) Proba-3 mission, which aims to create an artificial solar eclipse in space.
Set to lift off on December 4 aboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), this mission seeks to enhance the study of the Sun's corona using a pair of coordinated satellites.Proba-3 consists of two satellites: the Occulter Satellite (OSC) and the Coronagraph Satellite (CSC).
The OSC features a 1.4-meter occulting disc designed to block sunlight, creating a shadow that is just eight centimeters wide at a distance of 150 meters.
Positioned within this shadow, the CSC carries a telescope with a 5-centimeter aperture to observe the Sun's corona. Also read: WhatsApp to introduce custom message feature for forwarded content: Here's what is it Both satellites will work in tandem, maintaining precise formation using advanced flying techniques.
Their positioning will occur at the apogee of their elliptical orbit, around 60,000 kilometers from Earth, where gravitational forces are minimal.