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Aditya L1 and Proba-3 to Collaborate on Solar Observations in 2025
Aditya L1 and Proba-3 to Collaborate on Solar Observations in 2025
Aditya L1 and ESA's Proba-3 missions will collaborate in 2025, using advanced coronagraphs to conduct groundbreaking joint solar observations.
Bengaluru | December 10, 2024
India’s Aditya L1 mission is set to join forces with the European Space Agency's (ESA) Proba-3 mission in groundbreaking solar observation campaigns starting in mid-2025. The collaboration aims to deepen our understanding of the Sun's corona by utilizing their shared technology—a coronagraph.
Aditya L1, launched in September 2023, has been stationed at the Lagrange Point (L1), approximately 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, since January 2024. This mission marks India’s first dedicated effort to study the Sun. Meanwhile, Proba-3, successfully launched last week by ESA, represents a pioneering dual-satellite mission designed to perform precision formation flying to replicate solar eclipses.
Advanced Solar Observation Tools
Both Aditya L1 and Proba-3 carry advanced coronagraph instruments, which block the Sun’s intense light to enable the study of its outer atmosphere and nearby features.
Aditya L1: Equipped with the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC), capable of continuous monitoring of the Sun’s corona.
Proba-3: Features the Association of Spacecraft for Polarimetric and Imaging Investigation of the Corona of the Sun (ASPIICS), offering a detailed view of the Sun’s outer and inner corona, including a circular belt observable during solar eclipses. ASPIICS is enhanced by a 1.4-meter occulting disk, enabling views from 3 solar radii down to 1.08 solar radii.
Collaborative Efforts
Scientists from India and ESA recently convened at the Science Working Team (SWT) meeting in Chennai to plan joint solar observation campaigns. “Proba-3’s specific time windows for observations align with our goals. Coordinated campaigns will benefit both Indian and ESA scientific communities,” said Dr. Dipankar Banerjee, Director of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, who led the Indian delegation.
Proba-3's Progress and Timeline
Post its December 5 launch, the ESA’s Mission Operations Centre in Belgium has been monitoring Proba-3’s twin satellites. Initial performance checks and calibrations are ongoing, with early solar observations expected to begin by February or March 2025.
Proba-3 comprises three main payloads, including the Digital Absolute Radiometer (DARA), which will measure the Sun’s total energy output. The spacecraft pair, consisting of a coronagraph and an occulter, is scheduled to separate in early 2025 to begin individual operations and check-outs.
ESA confirmed that the operational phase, including active formation flying to study the corona, will commence within four months, paving the way for joint observations with Aditya L1 later in the year.
Looking Ahead
This collaboration between ISRO and ESA signifies a major leap in solar research. The combined efforts of Aditya L1 and Proba-3 are expected to provide unprecedented insights into solar phenomena, benefiting scientists globally.
