Amaravati: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the PSLV-C59 mission on Thursday. It carried the European Space Agency's (ESA) Proba-3, an advanced mission to observe the Sun, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

This marks a significant step in global efforts to study the economic and technological risks posed by space weather. The launch, initially planned for Wednesday, was postponed due to a technical issue, reported PTI.

NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), ISRO's commercial arm, secured the contract from the ESA for this mission. Proba-3, short for Project for Onboard Anatomy, consists of two satellites—Coronagraph (310 kg) and Occulter (240 kg).

These spacecraft will fly in precise formation, maintaining accuracy down to a millimetre, to study the Sun’s corona, the outermost layer of its atmosphere. The ESA highlighted that the corona, significantly hotter than the Sun itself, is the origin of space weather and a subject of immense scientific and practical interest.

For ISRO, in addition to deploying its reliable PSLV rocket for this mission, Proba-3 offers valuable insights for future solar studies, following its maiden solar mission, Aditya-L1, launched successfully in September 2023. Funded through the General Support Technology Programme, Proba-3 is a technology demonstration mission. The satellites will orbit Earth in approximately 19-hour cycles and approach the solar rim for up to six hours during each orbit.

The term 'Probas' is derived from Latin, meaning 'Let’s try.' The mission aims to showcase precise formation flying, with the two spacecraft launched in a stacked configuration until they reach the designated orbit. ISRO's flagship rocket, PSLV-C59, a 44.5-metre-tall rocket, undertook its 61st flight and 26th deployment of the PSLV-XL variant used for heavy satellite launches.

The launch occurred at 4.04 pm, with the satellites—Coronagraph and Occulter—reaching the desired orbit in an 18-minute journey. Once operational, the two spacecraft will maintain a 150-metre separation, working in unison. The Occulter will block the Sun’s solar disk, allowing the Coronagraph to observe and study the Sun’s corona for scientific research.