This arrangement would allow a single satellite to completely block the Sun, leaving only the corona, a difficult-to-observe region, open for study.

How will everything work?

The success of this mission depends on the required precise positioning of the satellites. alignment “precise to millimeter”. For this, complex navigation systems, radio communication, cameras and laser beams will be used to enable the satellites to function together as a single whole at a distance of 150 meters. ESA recognizes the enormous technical challenges of organizing such coordination.

The main purpose of the mission known as Probe-3Extending the observation period of solar eclipses six hoursIt will contribute to a comprehensive study of the solar corona. Scientists emphasize the importance of understanding this mysterious region because it affects weather conditions on Earth.

Although current coronagraphs make it possible to study the solar corona, their capabilities are limited by light scattering. The proposed satellite configuration solves this problem by placing an obscuring disk between the Sun and the observation point.

Rather than trying to achieve this with a single satellite (which is considered impractical), ESA prefers a system consisting of two satellites spaced 150 meters apart.

The launch of the Proba-3 mission is planned for September 2024However, the selection of the launch vehicle has not been announced yet.