ISRO’s Proba-3 Successfully Launched from Sriharikota, Reaches Orbit

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched its Proba-3 spacecraft from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, on Thursday. The launch took place at 4:04 PM, after a brief delay on December 4 due to an issue with the propulsion system. The PSLV-C59 rocket, carrying a 550 kg payload, successfully placed the spacecraft into orbit.

Proba-3, developed in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), is designed to observe the Sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the Corona, which plays a key role in determining space weather. This mission is notable for its precision formation flying. The spacecraft includes two satellites—the Coronagraph and the Occulter—which will fly in tandem, maintaining a distance of 150 meters. The Occulter will create an eclipse-like effect by blocking the Sun’s center, enabling the Coronagraph to observe the Corona.

The PSLV-C59 rocket achieved orbit after a smooth flight, with all systems cleared and operations declared normal. ISRO’s Chairman S. Somnath, in a statement after the launch, confirmed that the spacecraft was successfully placed into a highly elliptical orbit, with a perigee (closest point to Earth) of around 600 km and an apogee (farthest point from Earth) of 60,000 km.

The Proba-3 mission will further India’s space capabilities and contribute to scientific understanding of heliophysics. Somnath congratulated both the ISRO and ESA teams for their collaboration and success, highlighting the significance of the mission. Proba, which stands for “Project for Onboard Anatomy” and means “let’s try” in Latin, marks a significant milestone in space research for both organizations.