ISRO to launch Proba-3 mission today: Know what it is all about and where to watch live streaming

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set to launch the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)-C59/Proba-3 mission on Wednesday from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.?

Ahead of the launch of the satellite, ISRO on December 4, 2024, posted a brief about the mission on X (formerly called Twitter). The post reads, PSLV-C59, is ready to launch the ESA’s PROBA-3 satellites into orbit. The mission is proof of ISRO’s expertise and engineering and is powered by NSIL with ISRO’s excellent engineering that reflects the strength of international collaboration.?

Once again, it's a proud moment for India's space journey and a shining example of global partnerships. But if you want to know what the mission is all about,?

What is the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)-C59/Proba-3 mission all about??

The Polar Satellite mission is led by the ESA (European Space Agency) and is designed to study the Sun’s corona, which is the outermost and hottest layer of the Sun’s atmosphere. For the first time of its kind, the mission is all set to introduce precision formation flying technology.?

'Going to be a game-changing mission'

According to ESA, this mission is believed to be one of the game-changing missions of all time. In a statement, ESA described that it is a pair of satellites that will fly together, maintaining a fixed configuration as a ‘large rigid structure’ in space to prove the formation of flying technologies and rendezvous experiments.?

On December 2, 2024, ISRO, on its official website, shared a short piece of information about the mission that stated the PSLV-C59 vehicle will carry the Proba-3 spacecraft into a highly elliptical orbit as a dedicated commercial mission of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL).?

What is the main objective of the Proba-3 mission??

According to ISRO, the main objective behind the mission is to display precise formation flying, and the two spacecraft, ‘Coronagraph’ and ‘Occulter,’ will be launched together in a fixed configuration.?

The PSLV is on its 61st flight and the 26th of the XL variant. The satellite will be travelling for about 18 minutes, and it is slated to place the 550 kg Proba-3 satellite into the desired orbit, reported PTI.?

After reaching the first orbital conditions, the two satellites would fly 150 meters apart (as one large satellite structure) in collaboration so that the ‘Occulter’s spacecraft would block out the solar disk of the sun. This is to enable the coronagraph to study the corona of the Sun or the surrounding atmosphere for further observation.?

Where and how to watch??

The liftoff is scheduled for 4:08 pm IST, and if you are a space enthusiast and want to witness the event live or online, ISRO has opened its registrations for the public view from Sriharikota’s viewing gallery.?

For the ones who are unable to watch it live from Sriharikota, you can watch the live stream of the launch on its official website, YouTube channel, or other social media platforms. Here are the links below:?

ISRO Website:

https://www.isro.gov.in/PSLV_C59_PROBA-3_Mission.html

YouTube:?