ISRO Set to Launch Proba-3 Mission Today: Check When and Where to Watch

The Indian Space Research Organisation ( ISRO ) is set to launch the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Proba-3 mission, an ambitious space venture aimed at studying the Sun’s corona. This mission, scheduled for December 5, 2024  from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, marking a significant milestone in international space collaboration.

The mission meant for solar experiment was originally scheduled for launch on Wednesday, however, it was postponed due to an anomaly detected minutes before the launch. 

When and How to Watch Proba-3 Mission Launch  

When Is Proba-3 Mission Launch?

December 5, 2024, at 4:08 PM IST

How to Watch Proba-3 Mission Launch   

ISRO will provide a live stream of the event on its official website and YouTube channel, allowing space enthusiasts worldwide to watch this historic launch as it happens.

10 Facts About Proba 3 Mission   

The Proba-3 mission will be launched aboard ISRO's reliable PSLV rocket, scheduled for December 4, 2024.

'Probas' is a Latin word, meaning 'Let's try'. The mission objective is to demonstrate precise formation flying.

Set for 4:08 PM IST, the PSLV will embark on its 61st mission and its 26th flight with the PSLV-XL configuration, lifting off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

The PSLV-XL rocket stands 44.5 meters tall and weighs 550 kg. It will deploy the Proba-3 satellites into high Earth orbit about 18 minutes after liftoff.

The Proba-3 mission features two spacecraft, the Coronagraph and Occulter, which will fly in close formation, maintaining just 150 meters of distance between them. The Occulter will block the Sun's disk, enabling the Coronagraph to study the Sun's faint corona.

The Occulter spacecraft weighs around 240 kg, while the Coronagraph weighs about 310 kg.

The satellites will follow an orbital period of 19.7 hours, reaching an apogee (farthest point) of 60,530 km and a perigee (closest point) of 600 km from Earth.

One of the mission's most remarkable features is its ability to create "solar eclipses on demand," providing scientists with continuous, uninterrupted access to study the Sun's corona-a phenomenon typically only observable during brief natural solar eclipses.

Proba-3's primary goal is to demonstrate cutting-edge formation-lying technology, with the two spacecraft working together as a "large rigid structure to ensure highly accurate observations of the Sun.

The mission will provide unprecedented, extended observations of the Sun's outer atmosphere (corona) by blocking out the Sun's bright disk, giving researchers hours of data instead of the minutes-long windows available during natural eclipses.

Proba-3 will also advance our understanding of space weather, which can disrupt satellite communications, GPS, and power grids.

The mission will provide valuable insights into solar processes, particularly solar storms and coronal mass ejections, which can impact Earth's technological systems.