The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Proba-3 mission has successfully performed a historic feat by flying two spacecraft, Coronograph and Occulter, in tandem for hours without human intervention. This technology demonstrator is designed to test techniques for precise satellite formation flying, paving the way for future multi-satellite missions.
By flying 492 feet apart, the two spacecraft created an artificial solar eclipse in orbit, capturing the first images of the Sun’s outer atmosphere (corona). The Observations are crucial to understanding solar wind and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), which can pose a threat to communications, navigation systems, energy grids, and space missions.
The mission achieved this feat thanks to an innovative suite of navigation and positioning technologies. The Coronograph spacecraft used its ASPIICS instrument to capture images of the corona, while the Occulter spacecraft covered the Sun’s disk with its 1.4-meter disc, allowing for precise observations.
“This is what allowed us to capture the mission’s first images, which will no doubt be of high value to the scientific community,” said Damien Galano, Proba-3’s mission manager. The formation flying achieved so far was performed autonomously, but with supervision from ground control team. The remaining task is to achieve full autonomy.
The Proba-3 mission will investigate several mysteries, including how the Sun’s corona reaches temperatures above a million degrees Celsius and studying the energy emitted by the Sun (solar irradiance). It also detects electrons in Earth’s radiation belts, measuring their direction of origin and energy levels.
Source: https://www.universetoday.com/articles/esas-new-mission-can-see-a-solar-eclipse-every-day