Two satellites of ESA's Proba-3 mission successfully launched
Keystone-SDA
Select your language
Generated with artificial intelligence.
Listening: Two ESA satellites with Swiss technology launched
Two satellites on the European Space Agency's (ESA) Proba-3 mission have been successfully launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India. Swiss technology is on board.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA
Français
fr
Deux satellites de la mission Proba-3 de l’ESA lancés avec succès
Original
Proba-3 is an ESA mission inaugurating a new approach to solar observation using formation flying. Initially scheduled for Wednesday morning, the launch was postponed until Thursday.
The project, comprising two satellites flying with millimetric precision, is designed to reproduce an artificial solar eclipse, enabling in-depth study of the Sun’s corona.
The satellites were launched using a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). This vehicle has the power to send the 550kg weight of the two satellites into an elliptical orbit at a distance of between 600 and 60,000 kilometres from the Earth.
The satellites will align themselves with the Sun some 150 metres apart, casting a shadow from one satellite to the other, creating long-lasting artificial solar eclipses to reveal the Sun’s faint outer atmosphere, without being blinded by its brightness.
A measuring instrument developed and built in Switzerland is also on board. Called “Dara” (Digital Absolute Radiometer), it is mounted on the satellite that will be closest to the sun. A team from the Davos Physical Meteorological Observatory has been working on this instrument for about ten years.
Dara, which weighs around 3kg, measures the intensity of solar radiation, i.e. the exact amount of solar energy that reaches the Earth’s atmosphere. It should thus contribute to providing a series of continuous measurements of solar radiation.
Fourteen countries are participating in this mission.
Translated from French by DeepL/ts
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, if you want to learn more about how we use technology, click here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Abroad
Aussie adoptee gains Swiss citizenship at 54 thanks to old envelope
Basel diocese files five claims of sexual abuse in Swiss Catholic Church
This content was published on
The diocese of Basel has received 141 reports of sexual abuse since the publication of a sweeping study on violations in the Catholic Church by the University of Zurich in 2023.
Swiss president calls for open markets and stable institutions in WEF speech
This content was published on
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter was among speakers at the WEF in Davos to make the case for fair competition, a day after Donald Trump became the 47th president of the United States.
Swiss film in competition at the 75th Berlinale has a shot at Golden Bear
This content was published on
The feature film La Cache by Lausanne screenwriter and director Lionel Baier has a chance of winning the Silver or Golden Bear at the 75th Berlinale, festival organisers said on Tuesday.
Swiss politician who shot at image of Jesus resigns from Liberal Green Party
This content was published on
Sanija Ameti, who caused controversy after shooting at an image of Jesus and Mary last September, has resigned from the Liberal Green Party.
Swiss campaigners gather enough signatures to submit ‘responsible business’ initiative
This content was published on
The Swiss people are set to vote again on the corporate responsibility of multinationals after campaigners collected 183,661 signatures in 14 days for their new 'responsible business' initiative.
Several Swiss municipalities and banks hit by cyberattack
This content was published on
Russian hackers attacked the websites of several Swiss municipalities and banks on Tuesday, just as the World Economic Forum (WEF), got under way in Davos.
Music strengthens brain connections in premature babies, Swiss study shows
This content was published on
In premature babies, music strengthens connections in certain areas of the brain, according to a years-long study by the University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG).
WEF gives Crystal Award to Beckham, Yamamoto and von Fürstenberg
This content was published on
The World Economic Forum in Davos handed out awards to UNICEF ambassador David Beckham, Japanese architect Riken Yamamoto and women's rights activist Diane von Fürstenberg.
Swiss CEOs betting on a strong domestic market in 2025
This content was published on
Swiss business leaders are optimistic about 2025, despite a world in crisis, says a new survey by Pricewaterhouse Coopers.
This content was published on
Economics Minister Guy Parmelin and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis have welcomed Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang to Bern
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.