Days before a total solar eclipse sweeps across North America, scientists in Europe have unveiled another plan to block out the sun.
The bold project, called Proba-3, will align two spacecraft to create artificial solar eclipses. By creating this complicated calibration, the mission will capture – and complete – new views of the Sun first-ever precision formation spaceflight.
At an event in Belgium today, the European Space Agency (ESA) unveiled the Proba-3 satellites: the Occulter and the Coronagraph.
The trajectory of Proba-3
Artist's impression of ESA's Proba-3 mission blocking the sun. Photo credit: ESA-P. Carril
According to ESA's plan, the Occulter will fly about 150 m from the coronograph. Once the pair is in its precise position, the occult casts a shadow on the front of the coronagraph, obscuring the sun and making the corona visible.
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A similar experiment was carried out in 1975. when astronauts from the United States and the Soviet Union joined forces to create an artificial solar eclipse. But Proba-3 aims to achieve this feat routinely.
If all goes according to plan, the €200 million mission will deliver solar eclipses on demand. This will finally make the elusive solar corona visible for sustained study.
Solar eclipses on request
Proba-3 will initially be divided into the Occulter (above) and the Coronagraph. Photo credit: ESA – Magic Fennec
To produce solar eclipses, Proba-3 will rely on precision formation flight that autonomously coordinates the movements of multiple spacecraft.
Together, the satellites will form a single scientific instrument 150 meters long.
“It will demonstrate different types of formation flight configurations and experiment with in-orbit rendezvous techniques,” Dietmar Pilz, ESA director of technology, engineering and quality, said at a press conference on Tuesday. “Once proven, formation flying will be an enabler for future missions.”
Proba-3 will use a laser measurement system to achieve millimeter-level precision. Photo credit: ESA – Magic Fennec
ESA has big ambitions for the new technology. The agency introduces itself Formations of space telescopes observing cosmic targets with exceptional resolution. Proba-3 will also provide technology for ““In-orbit maintenance” and “removal of obsolete satellites,” said Pilz.
The next step towards these goals is final tests before the flight. Once this is done, the countdown to launch can begin. The mission is expected to launch from India in September 2024.
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