ISRO shares video of PSLV-C59/Proba-3 mission's successful liftoff and satellite separation

Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh) [India], December 7 (ANI): ISRO on Saturday shared a video of its PSLV-C59/Proba-3 Mission, showcasing the liftoff, PSOM separation, stage ignition, and satellite separation.
In a post on X, they said, "PSLV-C59/Proba-3 Mission - Liftoff, PSOM Separation, Stage Ignition & Satellite Separation Video."

PSLV-C59/Proba-3 Mission - Liftoff, PSOM Separation, Stage Ignition & Satellite Separation Video pic.twitter.com/oxaJrMmObi

— ISRO (@isro) December 7, 2024

Meanwhile, on Thursday, ISRO announced that the PSLV-C59/Proba-3 mission had successfully achieved its launch objectives, deploying ESA's satellites into their designated orbit with precision. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) added that the mission reflected the dedication of teams from NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), ISRO, and the European Space Agency (ESA). This achievement highlights India's crucial role in enabling global space innovation.

ISRO successfully launched the PSLV-C59/Proba-3 mission from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh earlier that day. The PSLV-C59 vehicle carried the Proba-3 spacecraft into a highly elliptical orbit as part of a dedicated commercial mission by NSIL. Originally scheduled for Wednesday, the mission was postponed due to an anomaly detected in the Proba-3 spacecraft.
The PSLV-C59 mission is a joint initiative between ISRO and NewSpace India Limited (NSIL). Proba-3 is a technology demonstration mission by the European Space Agency (ESA), marking ESA's first precision formation-flying mission. It involves a pair of satellites flying together in a fixed configuration, as if forming a single large rigid structure in space, to demonstrate innovative formation-flying and rendezvous technologies.
According to ESA, the mission aims to demonstrate formation flying as part of a large-scale scientific experiment. The two satellites will create a 150-meter-long solar coronagraph to study the Sun's faint corona closer to the solar rim than ever before. In addition to its scientific goals, the mission serves as a benchmark for achieving precise positioning between two spacecraft, using a range of new technologies.
Proba-3 will function as an orbital laboratory, demonstrating acquisition, rendezvous, proximity operations, and formation flying while validating advanced metrology sensors and control algorithms. This mission seeks to pave the way for innovative approaches to mission control.
The two satellites will maintain a fixed 150-meter configuration in space, aligned with the Sun, enabling the Occulter Spacecraft (OSC) to block the solar disk for the Coronagraph Spacecraft (CSC). This alignment will provide uninterrupted views of the Sun's faint corona for scientific study.
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is India's first launch vehicle to feature liquid stages and is used to carry satellites and other payloads into space. PSLV's first successful launch took place in October 1994. According to ISRO, PSLV-C59 involves four stages and carries a total payload mass of approximately 320 tonnes. (ANI)