ISRO, the Indian Space Research Organisation, is preparing for an exciting new mission involving a space docking experiment called SPADEX. This mission will take place aboard its reliable polar satellite launch vehicle, as announced by the organization’s chairman, S. Somanath. The team in Bengaluru is working hard to get the rocket ready, and they anticipate launching it later this month.
He explained that PSLV-C60 aims to showcase the space docking technology known as SPADEX, and they are currently in the final stages of preparation for the launch, expected to happen in December.
Somanath also expressed gratitude to the officials from NewSpace India Ltd and the European Space Agency (ESA) for their successful collaboration on a recent mission, called PSLV-C59/Probas-3. He mentioned that another mission, PSLV-C60, is scheduled for December that will also involve a similar docking experiment.
Additionally, he shared information about the Proba-3 mission, which focuses on studying the Sun and its surroundings. This project highlights the strong collaboration between Indian scientists and their European counterparts.
Proba-3 mission
The Proba-3 mission features a pair of satellites, named Coronagraph and Occulter, which weigh 310 kg and 240 kg respectively. These satellites work in close coordination, flying in precise formation to explore the Sun's outer atmosphere, known as the Corona. This region of space is significantly hotter than the Sun's surface and is vital for understanding space weather.
For ISRO, this mission serves as a stepping stone for acquiring crucial information for future scientific studies of the Sun, following the successful launch of their inaugural mission, Aditya-L1, in September 2023. Proba-3 is primarily a technology demonstration, highlighting how effectively the two satellites can operate as one cohesive unit. They were launched stacked on top of each other.
The PSLV-C59 rocket, which stood at 44.5 meters tall, had already flown 60 times before, making this it's 61st mission. After takeoff, it took the satellites approximately 18 minutes to reach their designated orbit. Once in space, the two satellites will maintain a distance of about 150 meters apart, with the Occulter satellite blocking the Sun's light, allowing the Coronagraph to study the surrounding atmosphere. This mission paves the way for new scientific observations and will greatly enhance our understanding of solar activity.
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Inputs from PTI
