The European Space Agency (ESA) has launched two satellites on a mission to demonstrate precision formation flying abilities and study the sun’s outermost atmosphere, known as the corona. The Proba-3 mission aims to create artificial total solar eclipses by positioning the two satellites 150 meters apart.
The goal of this operation is to give scientists a chance to observe the sun’s corona in detail, which is difficult due to the brightness of the sun. Scientists plan to carry out repeated studies of the corona at least twice a week for up to six hours each. This can provide new information about how solar activity influences Earth.
The ESA says that precise formation flying requires extreme precision – within just one millimeter – to keep their position using GPS, laser systems, and radio links. The satellites will be flying just one-and-a-half football fields away from each other during active formation flying.
The $210 million project is supported by over 40 European companies, including SENER Aerospace, Redwire Space, and Airbus Defence and Space. Proba-3 aims for at least 1,000 hours of “on demand” totality during its two-year operation. Once the mission is complete, both satellites will continually drop lower until they burn up in the atmosphere within five years.
This experiment can help scientists better understand why the corona is hotter than the sun itself and how solar activity influences Earth’s climate. The project will provide new insights into coronal mass ejections or solar wind origins in the region between 1.4 million kilometers from the sun’s surface.
Source: https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/europe-launches-mission-to-create-simulated-solar-eclipse/7900218.html