Tag

Formation Flying

All articles tagged with #formation flying

space-exploration1 month ago•53 min saved

Proba-3 falters as ESA’s twin-satellite eclipse mission goes dark

Europe’s Proba-3 formation (two satellites designed to create artificial solar eclipses and study the corona) has lost contact after an anomaly caused one probe to lose orientation. The Coronagraph, which images the sun’s outer atmosphere, and its Occulter partner must stay precisely aligned about 150 meters apart; the incident has led to a progressive attitude loss and solar-power drain, pushing the spacecraft into survival mode. ESA says the root cause is under investigation and teams are exploring ways to steer the Occulter closer to the Coronagraph to diagnose the issue and reestablish contact, with updates expected as the investigation continues (reported after Feb. 14 anomaly, with March 6 ESA update cited).

via Space|

#coronagraph #esa #formation-flying

science9 months ago•6 min saved

Proba-3 Achieves First Artificial Solar Eclipse

The ESA Proba-3 mission successfully created its first artificial total solar eclipse in orbit using two precisely coordinated satellites, capturing detailed images of the Sun's corona to advance solar science and improve space weather modeling.

via European Space Agency|

#esa #formation-flying #proba-3

science-and-technology1 year ago•3 min saved

ISRO Launches European Satellites for Artificial Solar Eclipse Research

India's ISRO successfully launched the Proba-3 mission satellites, marking a significant achievement in space exploration. The mission, led by the European Space Agency (ESA), aims to demonstrate precise formation flying with two spacecraft, the Coronagraph Spacecraft and the Occulter Spacecraft, to study the Sun's corona. This collaboration between ISRO and ESA highlights advancements in solar research and international cooperation in space technology.

via Indian Defence Review|

#esa #formation-flying #isro

space1 year ago•4 min saved

India to Launch Proba-3 Satellites for Solar Research and Artificial Eclipses

The European Space Agency's Proba-3 mission, set to launch on December 4, 2024, aboard an Indian PSLV rocket, will use two satellites to create artificial solar eclipses in space. This mission aims to study the sun's corona by blocking its disk with one satellite while the other observes, allowing for extended observation periods compared to natural eclipses. The mission will also demonstrate precise formation flying, potentially paving the way for future large-scale space missions.

via Space.com|

#esa #formation-flying #isro

space1 year ago•0 min saved

Proba-3 Mission to Create Six-Hour Artificial Solar Eclipses with ISRO Launch

The PSLV-C59 mission, a commercial launch by NewSpace India Limited, will deploy the European Space Agency's Proba-3 spacecraft into a highly elliptical orbit. Proba-3 aims to demonstrate precise formation flying with its two spacecraft, the Coronagraph Spacecraft and the Occulter Spacecraft, launched in a stacked configuration from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

via ISRO|

#european-space-agency #formation-flying #newspace-india-limited

spaceflight2 years ago•2 min saved

"Flock of Bird-Like CubeSats to Revolutionize Water Body Research in Spain's Space Mission"

Spain is set to launch three CubeSats, known as ANSER, that will mimic birds flying in formation to monitor Iberian waters. The shoebox-sized satellites will operate about 500 kilometers above Earth and maintain a distance of 10 km apart from each other. Instead of onboard propulsion systems, the CubeSats will use wing-like flaps to control their relative positions. The mission aims to demonstrate the feasibility of distributed systems and miniaturization for Earth observation missions. The launch will be facilitated by Vega-C rocket's Small Spacecraft Mission Service.

via Space.com|

#cubesats #earth-observation #formation-flying

space-technology2 years ago•4 min saved

"Vega's Winged CubeSats: Formation-Keeping without Fuel"

Spain's ANSER CubeSats, set to launch on Europe's Vega rocket, will fly in formation and maintain their relative positions using wing-like flaps that take advantage of the airflow at the top of Earth's atmosphere. The three CubeSats, working together as a single satellite, will image Iberian waters and use a specially-developed algorithm to plan aerodynamic maneuvers. The mission aims to demonstrate the operational capabilities of small satellites for Earth observation and will be limited to a few years, with the possibility of replacing CubeSats to continue the mission.

via European Space Agency|

#aerodynamic-maneuvers #cubesats #earth-observation

space3 years ago•3 min saved

Formation-flying satellites successfully integrated in Proba-3 mission.

The two spacecraft forming ESA’s Proba-3 mission for precise formation flying in orbit are now complete and fully integrated. The mission's main payload is a science instrument focused on the Sun which will produce unique data. The spacecraft will fly on a highly elongated orbit and will perform observations at the top of each orbit to minimize gravitational and illumination effects from Earth. The spacecraft will be shipped to Germany for a four-month environmental test campaign before being flown by PSLV launcher from India next year.

via European Space Agency|

#esa #formation-flying #proba-3