ISRO-ESA collaboration: How will Proba-3 mission help scientists understand more about Sun’s Corona?

The successful launch of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Proba-3 satellites by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) using the PSLV-C59 rocket marks a milestone in solar research. This groundbreaking mission is set to transform the understanding of the Sun’s corona and solar wind, according to former ISRO scientist PV Venkitakrishnan.
Proba-3, a joint venture between ESA and ISRO, is a major mission focussed on studying the Sun’s corona-the outside atmosphere of the Sun that is hotter than its surface. The mission initiative is to study the solar wind, a stream of charged particles emerging out from the Sun, and its influence on space weather conditions.

According to Venkitakrishnan, the Probe-mission is equipped with cutting-edge design and advanced technologies that will imitate a total solar eclipse. Although natural eclipses take place only for a short while and do not happen regularly, Proba 3 will stay for a longer period. It will make it possible to observe the corona during each orbit for continuous six hours. Thus, it will be equal to approximately 50 natural eclipses annually.
The Coronagraph spacecraft within the mission will be responsible for clicking high-resolution images, and collecting data that will help increase the understanding of solar physics. It will also enable scientists to forecast space weather phenomena more precisely. The two satellites of the Proba-3 mission-Coronagraph and Occulter will form an accurate formation of 150 meters apart from each other after completing orbital maneuvers.
This precise positioning is made possible with the assistance of ESA’s advanced propulsion systems, displaying innovative engineering behind the mission. Venkitakrishnan underlined the collaboration between the two firms as ISRO provided its cost-effective launch services. The tie-up also exhibits India’s growing eminence in the global space sector. ISRO’s major achievements in space diplomacy are also reflected in terms of ESA’s reliance on its launch vehicle. The absence of ESA’s launch capabilities also signifies ISRO’s major achievements in space diplomacy. By successfully launching Proba-3, ISRO displayed its capability for its innovative scientific missions. The initiative also aims to foster international cooperation in the field of solar physics and space research.