Europe Choses ISRO Over SpaceX for PSLV-XL Proba-3 Launch: All You Need to Know

New Delhi: The European Space Agency's (ESA) Proba-3 mission, aboard the Indian Space Research Organisation ( ISRO ) PSLV-C59 rocket, is all set to be launched on Thursday (December 5) at 04:04 pm IST from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota.

This space mission marks a key milestone in ESA-ISRO cooperation, being the first partnership since the Proba-1 Earth observation mission in 2001.

In a post on X, the Indian space agency on Wednesday said, "As per the ESA's request, the launch of PSLV-C59/PROBA-3 has been rescheduled as follows: Date: 05th December 2024 Time: 16:04 (4:04 pm)."

A Historic Collaboration of ESA-ISRO

The joint venture between ISRO and ESA represents the growing strength of the global partnership in the space industry for better discoveries. This launch features two specialised spacecraft- the Coronograph Spacecraft (CSC) (310kgs) and the Occulter Spacecraft (OSC) (240kgs), which aim to achieve the world's first precision formation-flying mission.

This marks a crucial step in studying solar dynamics and space weather. If successful, the Proba-3 will provide an extended observation period of the Sun’s outer atmosphere, which has been a subject of scientific curiosity for decades.

Proba-3 Mission Scientific Goals

'Probas' is a Latin word, meaning 'Let's try'. The Proba-3 mission aims to advance aims to understand the Sun's corona and space weather phenomenon. This includes solar storms and coronal mass ejection which can have prominent impacts on Earth's communication system satellite operation and power grids.

Additionally, the Proba-3 mission will also serve as a demonstration of advanced formation-flying technologies that could be used in future space missions for both agencies.

Proba-3 is a technology demonstration mission funded via the General Support Technology Programme. The instruments onboard the satellites would travel closer to the solar rim for up to six hours at a time and each spacecraft would take up approximately a 19-hour orbit around the Earth.

Proba-3 mission: LIVE Links to Watch the Launch

The launch will be streamed live on ISRO’s YouTube channel and ESA’s

Proba-3 Launch Postponed

Earlier, the launch was supposed to take place on Wednesday but was postponed due to "an anomaly in the redundant propulsion system of the Coronagraph Spacecraft occurred."

"During Proba3's pre-launch preparations at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in India, an anomaly in the redundant propulsion system of the Coronagraph Spacecraft occurred. This propulsion system is part of the attitude and orbit control subsystem of the satellite and used to maintain orientation and pointing in space." Aschbacher said in a social media post.

"During Proba3's pre-launch preparations at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in India, an anomaly in the redundant propulsion system of the Coronagraph Spacecraft occurred. This propulsion system is part of the attitude and orbit control subsystem of the satellite and used to maintain orientation and pointing in space." Aschbacher added.