ISRO gears up for PROBA-3 mission satellites launch from Sriharikota

The launch on December 4 at 4:06 pm will entail the PSLV-C59 carrying around satellites weighing nearly 550 kg in a highly elliptical orbit

Sriharikota: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced that the lift-off for the anticipated launch of PSLV-C59/PROBA-3 mission satellites will take place on December 4 (Wednesday), at 4:06 pm from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

The mission will entail the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)-C59 carrying around satellites weighing nearly 550 kg in a highly elliptical orbit. The PROBA-3 mission is an ‘In-Orbit Demonstration (IOD) mission’ by the European Space Agency (ESA). Posting about the anticipated launch on X, the space organisation said, “The PSLVC59/PROBA-3 Mission, the 61st flight of PSLV and the 26th using PSLV-XL configuration, is set to carry ESA’s PROBA-3 satellites (~550kg) into a highly elliptical orbit.”

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“The mission goal is to demonstrate precise formation flying,” said ISRO in a statement regarding the launch. The mission consists of two spacecraft, namely the Coronagraph Spacecraft (CSC) and the Occulter Spacecraft (OSC) which will be launched together in a “stacked configuration” (one on top of another). PSLV is a launch vehicle that helps carry satellites other various other payloads to space, or according to ISRO’s requirements. This launch vehicle is India’s first vehicle to be equipped with liquid stages.

The first PSLV was launched successfully in October 1994. The PSLVC-59 will have four stages of launch, according to ISRO. The total mass that the launch vehicle will be lifting off is around 320 tonnes. The space organisation also highlighted how this launch mission also exemplifies the “trusted precision” of the PSLV and collaboration with other agencies. “This mission exemplifies the trusted precision of PSLV and the collaboration of NSIL (NewSpace India Limited), ISRO, and ESA,” said the post.

The last launch of the PSLV was PSLV-C58, launching the XPOSAT satellite into an “Eastward low inclination orbit on January 1, 2024”. The ESA said Proba-3 is the world’s first precision formation flying mission. It will study the solar corona, the outermost and hottest layer of the Sun’s atmosphere.

The satellite was also called (Xray Polarimeter Satellite), it is the country’s first dedicated scientific satellite from ISRO to carry out research in space-based polarisation measurements of X-ray emission from celestial sources.