ESA deploys the Proba-3 mission, consisting of two satellites that will align to create a controlled artificial solar eclipse in orbit.
The timed choreography of the solar eclipse
During the upcoming total solar eclipse on April 8, scientists will have a rare opportunity to investigate the enigmatic solar corona. This constitutes the outermost layer of the solar atmosphere, extending millions of kilometers beyond the visible surface.
[post_relacionado]The corona, usually invisible due to solar glare,becomes visible as a faint white halo during an eclipse. On the Proba-3 mission, it will offer scientists an opportunity for an extended scientific and applied study of the solar corona.
This will be achieved by creating an artificial eclipse in space using ESA’s Proba-3 satellites. The satellites, the occulter and the coronagraph, currently being tested in Belgium, will act as a single giant instrument in orbit.
The technical challenge is great, as even a minor misalignment would compromise the mission. The satellites will form an artificial eclipse lasting more than six hours when they align, blocking direct sunlight. With the occultist positioned between the Sun and the coronagraph, sunlight will be prevented from interfering with the coronagraph observations.
Proba-3 mission to create artificial solar eclipse
This will allow the creation of multiple artificial eclipses during their orbits. And it will also enable a more detailed study of the solar corona and its atmosphere, providing new insights into the star.
The mission’s main instrument, ASPIICS, will collect data as if it were aboard a single spacecraft. It also incorporates precise positioning, navigation and communication technologies between interconnected satellites.
The formation flight will be conducted at an orbital altitude of approximately 60,000 kilometers, minimizing external disturbances. In addition to their formation, the satellites will move safely and passively in orbit.
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Source and photo: ESA