ESA and ISRO’s Proba-3 spacecraft successfully lifted off aboard the PSLV-XL rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, at 4:04 pm on Thursday, December 5. The Proba-3 spacecraft was stacked on the PSLV-XL rocket in November and the launch was initially scheduled for December 4 but was delayed due to an anomaly.
“👏 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.” Posted ISRO 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
The Proba-3 mission aims to study the solar corona by creating humanity’s first artificial solar eclipse. The mission consists of two spacecraft that will fly synchronized, attempting to create an artificial solar eclipse. The mission will not only help us study the sun’s corona in a detailed manner, but it will also showcase ESA and ISRO’s capabilities, as the mission requires extremely precise synchronized flying.
As ISRO aims to expand its presence in space exploration with future missions like Gaganyaan, Chandrayaan-4, and the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, the Proba-3 mission will encourage Indian scientists and researchers. With the Proba-3 mission, ISRO will also invite more international collaborations, boosting India’s space technology.