After anomaly alert, ISRO sets PROBA-3 launch for today

Contact Counsellor

CategoryDefence

Last Updated06/12/2024

The PSLV-C59/PROBA-3 mission, initially scheduled for launch at 16.08 IST on December 4, 2024, has been rescheduled to Thursday, December 5, 2024, at 16.12 IST due to an anomaly detected.

The highly anticipated PSLV-C59/Proba-3 mission, a collaborative effort between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the European Space Agency (ESA), has been rescheduled to December 5, 2024, at 16:12 IST following the detection of an anomaly.

At 15:19 IST on December 4, ISRO announced the postponement via its official X (formerly Twitter) account, citing a technical issue in the Proba-3 spacecraft. Despite earlier updates at 15:08 IST indicating smooth countdown progress, the anomaly, detected during final pre-launch preparations, necessitated the delay.
ESA officials elaborated that the issue pertains to the redundant propulsion system of the Coronagraph spacecraft, integral to its attitude and orbit control subsystem. ESA’s Director General, Josef Aschbacher, noted ongoing evaluations of a software solution to rectify the anomaly.

The PSLV-C59/Proba-3 mission represents the 61st flight of ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and the 26th employing the PSLV-XL configuration. Highlights include:
Payload: ESA’s Proba-3 satellites, weighing 550 kg collectively.
Objective: Deploying into a highly elliptical orbit to perform the world’s first precision formation flying mission, enabling a sustained view of the Sun’s corona by creating an artificial solar eclipse.
Launch Site: First Launch Pad (FLP), Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
Duration: Approximately 18 minutes from liftoff to orbital deployment.

Proba-3 (Project for Onboard Autonomy) consists of two spacecraft operating in tandem to achieve unprecedented precision in formation flying. This collaboration aims to revolutionize solar observation by casting a controlled shadow from one spacecraft onto the other, allowing detailed study of the Sun’s corona — a region critical for understanding solar activity and its effects on space weather.

The revised countdown for December 5 is underway, pending successful resolution of the propulsion system anomaly. ISRO and ESA’s commitment to ensuring mission safety reflects the collaborative rigor in advancing space exploration. As the mission progresses, it underscores the growing synergy between global space agencies in pushing technological boundaries.