2024-03-11 19:19:40
The European Space Agency is breaking new ground in space travel by achieving what was previously considered impossible. The experts plan to project a precisely positioned shadow from one satellite onto another in 2024 in order to create an artificial shadow Solar eclipse to create.
Solar eclipse 2024: ESA is working on a unique mission
The two satellites, which are currently undergoing various tests in Belgium, will embark on this unprecedented endeavor and thus offer an equally unique perspective on the solar corona. The analysis of the artificial solar eclipse is intended to deepen the understanding of the formation of coronal mass ejections, which trigger solar storms, and the influence of the solar wind, which determines space weather.
The team working on the so-called Proba-3 mission consists of 45 physicists from all over the world. Recently, the two participants managed to inspect the satellites before their launch. During an upcoming terrestrial solar eclipse over North America, they will test the hardware developed for the mission, explained the European Space Agency (ESA).
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Two instruments in fine coordination
A meeting was recently held at the Royal Observatory of Belgium where details regarding data processing were discussed. The first spacecraft – the so-called Occulter – will be used, among other things, for imaging. Precision is of the utmost importance. While some lenses rely on a lot of light, others have to remain in almost complete darkness in order to be able to profitably evaluate the solar eclipse.
The team also discussed Proba-3’s second instrument, the Digital Absolute Radiometer (DARA), designed to measure the Sun’s total radiation. This should contribute to a better understanding of the sun’s influence on the Earth’s climate.
The Proba-3 mission is ultimately scheduled to produce an artificial solar eclipse in September 2024. The two instruments will be brought into position from India using a rocket.
Source: European Space Agency
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