On Thursday, ISRO sent the European Space Agency Proba-3 Sun observation mission atop the PSLV-C59 launch vehicle into space successfully. The mission had blasted off from the First Launch Pad (FLP) at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR), Sriharikota.
"PSLV-C59 has successfully lifted off-the beginning of a global mission led by NSIL, with ISRO's technical prowess-to deploy ESA's groundbreaking PROBA-3 satellites," the Indian space agency posted on X.
"A proud moment celebrating the synergy of international collaboration and India's space achievements," it added.
Proba-3 by ESA marks the first mission that's been launched from India after the Proba-1 in 2001, a further example of deepening collaboration in space between the two countries. The launch will further exemplify India's increased share of contribution towards space exploration in the world.
PSLV-C59 will place Proba-3 into highly elliptical orbit as a dedicated commercial mission of NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL).
The Proba-3 mission aims to observe the Sun's faint corona closer to the solar rim. It is an in-orbit demonstration IOD mission of the ESA that aims to demonstrate precise formation flying.
"This mission, powered by NSIL with ISRO's engineering excellence, reflects the strength of international collaboration. A proud milestone in India's space journey and a shining example of global partnerships," said ISRO.
The launch was earlier rescheduled as a result of an unidentified anomaly that cropped up after the "countdown went on without a hitch."
The Proba-3 satellites were transported from Liege in Belgium to the Chennai airport after which they were trucked to the spaceport at Sriharikota.
It consists of two spacecraft -- the Coronagraph Spacecraft (CSC) and the Occulter Spacecraft (OSC) -- and were launched together in a stacked configuration aboard the PSLV-XL rocket, the ISRO noted. It will be the 61st flight of PSLV and the 26th using PSLV-XL configuration.
The Indian space agency reports that the spacecraft will form a 144-metre-long instrument known as a solar coronagraph. This will allow scientists to examine the Sun's corona, which is not easily observable due to the brightness of the solar disk.
PSLV-C59 is a shining example of ISRO's engineering capability. This is the 61st flight that has showcased the popularity of the PSLV-XL variant.
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