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La mission #Proba3 de l'ESA a réalisé sa première éclipse solaire artificielle sur orbite terrestre. Les premières images ont été publiées la semaine dernière.
Explications : https://reves-d-espace.com/proba-3-realise-sa-premiere-eclipse-solaire-artificielle-sur-orbite-terrestre/
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La mission #Proba3 de l'ESA a réalisé sa première éclipse solaire artificielle sur orbite terrestre. Les premières images ont été publiées la semaine dernière.
Explications : https://reves-d-espace.com/proba-3-realise-sa-premiere-eclipse-solaire-artificielle-sur-orbite-terrestre/
ESA Satellites Create First Artificial Total Solar Eclipse in Space https://petapixel.com/2025/06/17/esa-satellites-create-first-artificial-total-solar-eclipse-in-space/ #europeanspaceagency #proba3mission #solareclipse #eclipse #science #proba3 #Space #space #News #esa #sun
PetaPixel · ESA Satellites Create First Artificial Total Solar Eclipse in SpaceIncredible photos from the first artificial total solar eclipse created in space.
Two European satellites mimic a total solar eclipse as scientists aim to study its corona.
The satellites have created the first artificial solar eclipse by flying in precise formation, providing hours of on-demand totality for scientists.
Dubbed Proba-3, the €181 million mission has generated 10 successful solar eclipses so far.
ESA released the eclipse pictures at the Paris Air Show on Monday.
Euronews · Two European satellites mimic a total solar eclipse as scientists aim to study its corona.
The best artificial Total #SolarEclipse ever, delivered by ESA's #Proba3 spacecraft duo of which one carries the telescope while the other plays Moon - this allows imaging the solar #corona closer to the photosphere than any other coronagraph: https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Proba-3/Proba-3_s_first_artificial_solar_eclipse
Immer ein halbes Jahr auf die nächste #Sonnenfinsternis warten ist ja so was von gestern 
www.esa.intProba-3’s first artificial solar eclipseToday, the European Space Agency’s Proba-3 mission unveils its first images of the Sun’s outer atmosphere – the solar corona. The mission’s two satellites, able to fly as a single spacecraft thanks to a suite of onboard positioning technologies, have succeeded in creating their first ‘artificial total solar eclipse’ in orbit. The resulting coronal images demonstrate the potential of formation flying technologies, while delivering invaluable scientific data that will improve our understanding of the Sun and its enigmatic atmosphere.
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Talk about unfortunate timing ... Andrei Zhukov wanted to discuss the first #corona images from #Proba3 at the Belgian #SolarEclipse Conference - but the spacecrafts' commissioning took a bit longer than expected so the images are still embargoed. And will be released next Monday at around 14:30 UTC at Le Bourget - see https://www.esa.int/Newsroom/Press_Releases/ESA_Media_Invitation_Programme_for_the_2025_Paris_Air_Show_at_Le_Bourget for details - and online. 3/n
L'ESA a annoncé avoir effectué le vol en formation de 2 satellites le plus précis au monde avec la mission #Proba3 : maintien de leur position relative à moins d'un millimètre.
Vidéo : https://dlmultimedia.esa.int/download/public/videos/2025/05/009/2505_009_AR_EN.mp4
Plus d'info : https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Proba-3_achieves_precise_formation_flying
Mon article sur Proba-3 : https://reves-d-espace.com/proba-3-deux-satellites-esa-en-vol-en-formation-precis-pour-des-eclipses-solaires-artificielles/
Lors du premier vol autonome en formation de la mission #Proba3 de l'ESA, le satellite « Coronagraph » a été photographié par la caméra embarquée du satellite « Occulter »
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The Coronagraph spacecraft of the #Proba3 project captured by a camera onboard the Occulter spacecraft during the mission's first autonomous formation acquisition - both spacecraft maintained their relative position for several hours without any control from the ground: https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Proba-3/Proba-3_s_first_autonomous_formation_flight
How ESA’s Proba-3 Mission Will Create Solar Eclipses in Orbit https://petapixel.com/2024/12/05/how-esas-proba-3-mission-will-create-solar-eclipses-in-orbit/ #europeanspaceagency #solareclipse #Interviews #interview #eclipse #feature #science #proba3 #Space #space #News #esa #sun
PetaPixel · How ESA's Proba-3 Mission Will Create Solar Eclipses in OrbitSolar eclipses in space will offer valuable scientific insights.
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Glorious hi-res photographs of the #Proba3 launch from ISRO - full album at https://www.isro.gov.in/PSLV_C59_PROBA3_Gallery_Post_Launch.html. And from https://www.astro.oma.be/en/december-5-1134-cet-successful-proba-3-launch/ we learn that the first pictures of the corona *may* come in March 2025 - i.e. during commissioning - already.
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The #Proba3 satellites have been delivered by the PSLV-XL into the desired highly elliptical orbit around the Earth: https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Proba-3/Eclipse-making_double_satellite_Proba-3_enters_orbit - now a commissioning phase of about four months commences, with corona images to be expected only after that, i.e. some time next spring. (Couldn't get more precise information.) But hey, it was 15 (!) years ago I had first heard - and written - about this exciting mission, so what's another few months ... ;-)
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Next launch attempt for #Proba3 one hour from now, all well so far: ISRO's webcast will be at https://www.youtube.com/live/PJXXLLw0PBI
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"During #Proba3’s pre-launch preparations at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, an anomaly in the redundant propulsion system of the Coronagraph Spacecraft occurred," says an update of https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Proba-3/Watch_eclipse-making_Proba-3_launch now: "The anomaly is currently under detailed investigation. The use of a software solution by the mission control team at ESA’s ESEC centre at Redu, Belgium is being evaluated to allow a launch on Thursday 5 December" which would come at 10:34 UTC.
www.esa.intWatch eclipse-making Proba-3 launchESA’s eclipse-making precise formation-flying mission is nearly ready for liftoff! Proba-3 is scheduled for launch on a PSLV-XL rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, on Wednesday, 4 December, at 11:38 CET (10:38 GMT, 16:08 local time).
Nine hours remaining til the planned launch of the ESA coronagraph #Proba3 consisting of two separately flying spacecraft: http://youtube.com/live/PJXXLLw0PBI = webcast from 10:00 UTC, https://isro.gov.in/PSLV_C59_PROBA-3_Mission.html and https://esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Proba_Missions/Proba-3_Mission3 = ISRO and ESA homepages, https://www.isro.gov.in/media_isro/pdf/PSLVC59/PSLV_C59_Brochure.pdf and https://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/technology/esa-proba3_media_kit.pdf = ISRO and ESA press kits, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfbYdDkh8n4 and https://www.isro.gov.in/PSLV_C59_PROBA-3_Curtain_Raiser.html and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgdRImH-BAw = ESA and ISRO preview videos - and http://skyweek.wordpress.com/2024/12/04/2-satelliten-1-koronograph-proba-3-vorm-start/ comes with many more links.
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The launch date of the #Proba3 satellite pair making up a huge solar coronagraph has slipped slightly to 4 December: https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Proba_Missions/Europe_says_farewell_to_eclipse-making_Proba-3 - the satellites will travel to India to meet their PSLV on 2 November.
WRITER FUEL: Later this year, the European Space Agency's Proba-3 mission will send two spacecraft into orbit around Earth. By aligning the probes, researchers will create 6-hour-long mini eclipses, allowing the sun's atmosphere to be studied like never before.
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ESA’s pair of Sun-watching #Proba3 satellites have been placed in take-off configuration, one on top of the other, for testing in simulated launch and space conditions at IABG in Germany, ahead of their planned lift-off next year: https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Proba_Missions/Sun-watching_Proba-3_formation_flyers_tested_for_take-off
I've been following this #ESA mission since 14 (!) years when 'around 2012' was the projected launch date (see https://skyweek.wordpress.com/2009/07/08/zwei-esa-satellitchen-sollen-ultimativen-koronographen-bilden for what I wrote in 2009) ... and now the two spacecraft making up the #Proba3 mission are actually finished and should launch in 2024: https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Proba_Missions/Proba-3_complete_Formation-flying_satellites_fully_integrated - they'll fly in formation forming a huge solar #coronagraph with one being the occulter and the other observing the #corona of the #Sun.