The Proba-3 satellites, launched on 5 December 2024 aboard a PSLV-XL rocket from India's Satish Dhawan Space Centre, had remained connected for six weeks post-launch. During this time, ESA's mission control team at the European Space Security and Education Centre in Redu, Belgium, completed the initial in-orbit checks using four ground antennas located in Australia, Chile, and Spain.
On 14 January at 23:00 GMT (15 January 00:00 CET), the satellites separated 60,000 km above Earth while traveling at 1 km per second.
Proba-3 mission manager Damien Galano described the event: "The separation relied on a well-known technology, routinely used when a spacecraft separates from its launcher. The two Proba-3 spacecraft were held together by a clamp-band, which is essentially a belt tightened around two metal rings, each attached to one spacecraft. Once the clamp was released, the two satellites started slowly drifting away from each other."
Although clamp-band technology is not new, using it to separate two spacecraft already in orbit is unusual. "Now, the two platforms will drift up to 50 km away from each other. Over the coming week, we will determine their relative positions, then use their propulsion systems to stop this drift and bring them back into a stable, safe configuration," Galano added.
The mission's ultimate goal is to have the two spacecraft maintain a precise 150 m separation-equivalent to one and a half football pitches. This configuration, expected to be achieved within two months, will require maintaining their relative positions with millimetric precision for up to six hours at a time. This feat will be enabled by advanced propulsion and navigation systems operating autonomously on board.
Proba-3 will demonstrate its precision capabilities by creating artificial solar eclipses in space. The Occulter satellite will cast a small shadow on the Coronagraph satellite's optical instrument, enabling detailed studies of the Sun's corona. Using a combination of sensors, including a laser-based system, the satellites will ensure the shadow-measuring just 8 cm across-is perfectly aligned with the coronagraph 150 meters away. Together, the satellites will operate as a single, massive spacecraft.
The next steps involve confirming that all systems on both spacecraft are functioning smoothly. This preparation will pave the way for the operational phase of the mission, set to commence in March 2025.
Related Links
Proba-3 at ESA
Solar Science News at SpaceDaily
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
