ESA Technology’s Post

Proba-3: Firing laser! ESA's double-satellite formation flying mission will use this laser beam, reflected from one spacecraft to another, to achieve millimetre precision to line up in space with the Sun and produce artificial solar eclipses on demand https://lnkd.in/e8t9rBUE

Exciting news from a long-term mission launched by our #Ariane5! 🤩🚀 #BepiColombo was carried aboard a rather special Ariane 5, operated by ARIANESPACE. The launcher was capable of taking its passenger to a hyperbolic escape orbit, enabling it to pull itself free of Earth’s “gravity well” and begin its journey to Mercury at an absolute velocity of close to 40,000 km/h. Whereas Ariane 5 usually launched missions of about 10 tons to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), this time it had to launch a 4-ton payload, while driving the launcher to a velocity greater than that of a traditional launch, so that the satellite could escape from Earth orbit. Specific control and propulsion adjustments were therefore needed and, even if the launcher’s structure was not modified, this required additional checks occupying about 30 #RocketMakers for a period of two years. We are proud to have contributed to this incredible journey and look forward to the #Milestones and new missions ahead that seek to uncover the mysteries of our universe and make the dream of space exploration a reality. 🌍🌌 #WorkInSpace #SpaceIndustry

Aditya-L1 Mission: Completion of First Halo Orbit On July 2, 2024, the Aditya-L1 spacecraft completed its first halo orbit around the Sun-Earth L1 point. Launched on September 2, 2023, and inserted into its targeted halo orbit on January 6, 2024, the Indian solar observatory orbits the L1 point in 178 days. During its journey, Aditya-L1 experienced various perturbing forces, necessitating station-keeping maneuvers on February 22 and June 7 to maintain its orbit. Today’s third station-keeping maneuver ensured the spacecraft's transition into the second halo orbit around L1. The mission involves modeling complex dynamics, understanding perturbing forces, and executing precise orbit maneuvers, validating the advanced flight dynamics software developed by U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), ISRO- ISRO - Indian Space Research Organization. The spacecraft's trajectory, a 3-dimensional path projected onto the X-Y plane, was corrected with the SK#3 maneuver to avoid deviation, ensuring it remains on course.

Joint European & Indian team in front of the 2 Proba-3 spacecraft stacked atop their upper stage, ready to be mated with the rest of the PSLV-XL launcher at ISRO - Indian Space Research Organization's SHAR base for launch.

K2 Space Corporation is reshaping the future of space hardware with its bold bet: the era of massive spacecraft is here 🚀 With SpaceX’s Starship and other heavy-lift vehicles lowering launch costs, K2 Space is stepping up with its first major mission, Gravitas, under a $60 million contract with the Space Force. Slated for launch in 2026 on SpaceX’s Transporter-16, Gravitas will carry multiple national security payloads, pushing boundaries in challenging orbits like MEO. K2’s innovative, large-scale satellite design could redefine how spacecraft are built and deployed—cost-effectively, quickly, and at scale 💪 https://lnkd.in/g5smeSwx via TechCrunch

Complete all tasks and get off work: Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft has controlled re-entry into the atmosphere

🚀As part of the PSLV-C59 payload adapter test, ISRO - Indian Space Research Organization & European Space Agency - ESA successfully matched the Proba-3 CSC spacecraft with its payload adapter! ✨ 📑In the Proba-3 mission, two satellites are involved - CSC & OSC. 🔥 The OSC will be mounted atop the CSC, which in turn will connect the stack to PSLV.🌃 🛰️The CSC spacecraft was again de-mated from the payload adapter after the fit check in order to begin loading propellant into its propulsion system. ✨The CSC is equipped with the Coronagraph instrument, which will take images of the Sun's Corona, while the OSC has the Occulter disk that will block the Coronagraph's view of the bright solar disk, enabling it to image the faint solar corona.☀️ #ISRO #ESA #PSLC #India #Rocket #Space

🛰️ 𝙈𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙊𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 🛰️ The European Space Agency - ESA PROBA-3 mission is the world’s first precision formation flying mission set to create an artificial eclipse to further our understanding of the Sun and its impact on Earth. Countdown for the launch is on, Proba-3’s two satellites will together form a 144-m long solar coronagraph to study the Sun’s faint corona closer to the solar rim than has ever before been achieved. Besides its scientific interest, the experiment will be a perfect instrument to measure the achievement of the precise positioning of the two spacecraft. It will be enabled using a wide variety of new technologies. Redwire Space & Redwire Space Europe is responsible for Proba-3 spacecraft integration, testing, and the onboard computer. https://lnkd.in/gGQmnXsb

Proba-3 is now fuelled for its mission. ArianeGroup engineers donned SCAPE suits - meaning 'Self Contained Atmospheric Protective Ensemble' - to fill the Coronagraph spacecraft with toxic hydrazine at ISRO's SHAR base https://lnkd.in/eDj_Vuuz

Proba-3: Not because it is easy…, Video: 00:01:54 Not because it is easy but because it is hard: this historic space phrase is pretty much the definition of ESA’s double-satellite Proba-3 mission, which will employ precise formation flying to produce artificial total solar eclipses in orbit, casting a shadow from one spacecraft to the other. No-one has ever flown a mission like this, up until now. But just why is it so hard? Find out in this curtain-raising video trailer., : Video: 00:01:54 Not because it