Sriharikota. Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has announced that the launch for the anticipated launch of PSLV-C59/Proba-3 mission satellites will take place on December 4 (Wednesday) at 4:06 pm from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
In this mission, Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)-C59 will carry satellites weighing approximately 550 kg into a highly elliptical orbit.
The Proba-3 mission is an “in-orbit demonstration (IOD) mission” by the European Space Agency (ESA).
The reliable PSLV is ready to shine with PSLV-C59/PROBA-3, ISRO said on ‘X. It is a mission of New Space India Limited enabled by ISRO in collaboration with ESA. This mission will place ESA’s Proba-3 satellites (approximately 550 kg) into a unique highly elliptical orbit, strengthening the reliability of PSLV for complex orbital deliveries.
The mission aims to perform precise structure flight, ISRO said in a statement about the launch. The mission consists of two spacecraft, namely the Coronagraph Spacecraft (CSC) and the Occulter Spacecraft (OSC) that will be launched together in a “stacked configuration” (one on top of the other).
PSLV is a launch vehicle that helps carry satellites and various other payloads into space, or as per ISRO requirements. This launch vehicle is India’s first vehicle which is equipped with a liquid stage.
The first PSLV was successfully launched in October 1994.
According to ISRO, PSLVC-59 will have four launch stages.
The total mass to be lifted by the launch vehicle is approximately 320 tonnes.
ISRO also highlighted how this launch mission is an example of the PSLV’s “reliable accuracy” and collaboration with other agencies.
The post said that this mission is an example of the reliable accuracy of PSLV and the collaboration of NSIL (NewSpace India Limited), ISRO and ESA. The last launch of PSLV was PSLV-C58, which launched the Exosat satellite into a “low eastward inclination orbit on January 1, 2024”.
ESA said Proba-3 is the world’s first precision formation flight mission. It will study the solar corona, the outermost and hottest layer of the Sun’s atmosphere.
This satellite, also called (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite), is ISRO’s first dedicated scientific satellite in the country to conduct research in space-based polarization measurements of X-ray emission from celestial sources.