Two European satellites were recently launched on a mission that will include: simulated total solar eclipse.
The European Space Agency (ESA) launched the satellites on December 5 from southern India aboard an Indian-built rocket.
ESA says its Proba-3 mission aims to demonstrate this precision Formation flying capabilities as the two satellites fly together at a fixed position.
The two satellites are expected to separate and fly 150 meters apart when they reach their target area high above Earth in about a month.
Creating a simulated solar eclipse
In one of the mission's largest experiments, the two spacecraft will conduct a series of experiments artificially total solar eclipses. A shadow created by one satellite allows the other to observe solar activity while blocking out the sun itself.
The goal of this operation is to give scientists the opportunity to study the Sun's outermost atmosphere, called the corona. Because of the sun's brightness, the corona is difficult to observe.
Scientists have repeatedly tried to study this part of the Sun based on observations on Earth during real total solar eclipses. But these eclipses don't happen often and usually only last up to five minutes. The Proba-3 team plans to conduct total solar eclipses at least twice a week, each lasting up to six hours.
Scientists say repeated studies of the corona can help provide new information about how solar activity affects Earth. For example, the project could help scientists better understand why the corona is so much hotter than the sun itself and how the sun's energy output changes over time.
Sometimes intense solar activity can lead to geomagnetic storms, which can cause difficulties in Earth's energy and communications systems.
“It will be able to see the sun for six hours weak atmosphere, the corona, in the hard-to-observe region between the edge of the Sun and 1.4 million kilometers from its surface,” ESA said in a statement before the launch.
Mission managers say the eclipse experiments will require extreme precision – within just a millimeter – to position the spacecraft effectively. The satellites rely on this to maintain their position GPSLaser systems and radio connections.
ESA said in a statement: “Proba-3 is very different because our satellites will fly just one and a half football fields apart during active formation flight.”
Esther Bastida Pertegaz is a systems engineer on the Proba-3 mission. She said in a video: “The corona of the sun… has been very poorly studied. One of the things we really want to understand is… how coronal mass ejections or solar wind work.” arise in this area.”
The $210 million project is supported by over 40 European companies, reports Reuters news agency. These include SENER Aerospace, Redwire Space and Airbus Defense and Space.
ESA says Proba-3 will aim for a total of at least 1,000 hours “on demand” during its two-year operation. After the mission is completed, both satellites will continue to descend until they burn up in the atmosphere. Officials said this would likely happen within five years.
ESA has announced that, in addition to the solar eclipse experiments, Proba-3 will also conduct other orbits to demonstrate a range of precise formation flights to support future missions.
I'm Bryan Lynn.
Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting from The Associated Press, Reuters and the European Space Agency.
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Words in this story
simulate – V to do or make something that behaves or looks like something real but is not
precise – adj. Exactly
artificially – adj. something created by a machine and not a natural process
weak – adj. very light; difficult to see
GPS – N a system designed to track the movements of something using an electronically powered device
arise – V where something begins