Proba-3 Delivers First Images of Artificial Solar Eclipse: Precision Formation Flying Achieved
Proba-3 Delivers First Images of Artificial Solar Eclipse: Precision Formation Flying Achieved
ESA’s Proba-3 mission has successfully demonstrated its ability to create artificial solar eclipses, achieving millimeter-precise formation flying between two satellites. The Coronagraph satellite, equipped with the ASPIICS instrument, captured images of the sun’s corona while the Occulter satellite blocked the sun’s disk.
This breakthrough allows for continuous observation of the solar corona, a region crucial for understanding solar wind and coronal mass ejections. Traditional coronagraphs struggle with stray light, while Proba-3’s innovative approach significantly reduces this issue, providing unprecedented clarity.
The mission utilizes a novel “giant coronagraph” configuration, positioning the satellites 150 meters apart with autonomous control. This surpasses previous attempts, including the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, which suffered from light scattering caused by thruster gases.
The resulting images, processed from three exposures to achieve a full view, are comparable to those from natural solar eclipses but offer the advantage of continuous, on-demand observation. Open-data policy allows for public access to the uncalibrated data generated during the two-year mission.
Key technological achievements include: millimeter-precise formation flying, autonomous operation, and significantly reduced stray light in coronal imaging. This mission is a significant step forward in solar observation and space-based technology.
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