7. Proba-3 mission launch delayed to December 5 due to anomaly: ISRO

Proba-3 Mission Launch Update

Recast Launch

• The PSLV-C59/Proba-3 launch has been postponed from December 4, 2024, to December 5, 2024, due to an anomaly found in the Proba-3 spacecraft.
• Announcement made by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Mission Overview

• Proba-3 is a mission of the European Space Agency (ESA).
• Launch vehicle: ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
• Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

Key Features of Proba-3

• First-of-its-kind Mission:
  • Proba-3 is the world’s first precision formation flying mission.
• Formation Flying Concept:
  • Two satellites will fly together in a fixed configuration, resembling a single large rigid space structure.
  • Demonstrates formation flying and rendezvous technologies.

Scientific Objective

• The mission aims to undertake a mega science experiment.
• Unique Shadow Casting:
  • One satellite will align exactly in front of the other, casting an accurate shadow at a distance of 150 m.
  • Achieves a positional precision of one millimetre.